Do you suppose she's a wild flower?
by MusingSkeleton
Summary: With the conclusion of the war and Sasuke gone to atone for his sins, Sakura continues to blossom in honing her skills. Yet setting out for S-ranked missions, she still happens to find an emptiness dwelling within. Sakura claims that she is over Sasuke and decides to try and give love another shot. However, the acute, incessant tugging at her chest may unravel otherwise.
1. Chapter 1 - Stone Cold

We believe Sakura is a complex and dynamic character who proved her worth over the years with hard work and determination, although much of the fan-base constantly deems her useless and a nuisance in general. We multisaku shippers write this as an ode to her badassery :P Cheers to one of the only real-life-relatable characters in the series!

Disclaimer: Naruto ain't ours.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Stone Cold**

* * *

The cloth chafed her skin as hands rubbed it raw. The sharp scent of vinegar gave way to an aroma of lemons and then red turned to off-white.

Blood whirled down the drain and off her coat.

The sound of water occasionally splashing on the countertop filled the eerie silence—the emptiness that once consumed the moonlit room.

Tangy, sour, and bitter. The scent of lemons had become the typical, familiar aroma that lingered on her fingers most of the time. She sighed. The inevitable routine of 'to save or not to save' had taken a toll on her these past years.

_It was hard not to be morbid when she smelled like death itself._

The blood on her hands was still warm and wet, belonging to those whom she had just left, the blood that had once been circulating in someone else…

In all honesty, Sakura knew how eerily similar she was to Lady Tsunade. It was a fact that she had retained countless little quirks and habits from her mentor...so was it_ too _surprising that she shoved her hands underneath the faucet and scrubbed them till the water twisting down the drain turned from colorless to red-brown to colorless back again? Was it _too _surprising that she grabbed the nail-cutter waiting by the sink's edge and chipped away at the fingernails stained a rusty crimson, already too short to be chipped off once more?

Well, it shouldn't have been. Surprising, that is.

"Whoa, well isn't this a nice surprise."

The sound of faint footsteps grew clearer by the second. Coming to a halt, a figure emerged from the shadows, restoring the silence once again. Leaning on the door frame was none other than the famous Naruto Uzumaki, carrying that foolish childish grin that seemed to be permanently plastered on his face.

"I expected you'd be back by 2 am but looks like we're a tad early today aren't we Saku-chan?" He walked over and engulfed her in his famous suffocating bear-hug.

"Naruto, let go you fat frog," she deadpanned.

"Sakura-chan," he clutched at his chest, "I'm a tiny, cuddly fox, not a _fat frog_." He pouted.

"After all these years you still don't kno-akh! Hey! Isn't it too early for your punches?" He huffed, rubbing his arm.

"Oh please, I'm too tired to have hurt you one bit," she teased as she hung her coat out on the clothesline nearby.

"Sakura-chan, you don't know your own strength!" he whined.

The night was young. Calm. Serene. The glistening moonlight illuminated everything within its reach, tracing figures and revealing shadows once hidden in the darkness.

Sakura's facial expression darkened ever-slightly. She leaned on the sink and looked out the window.

Naruto knew this face all too well. He shut up and stared at her, waiting for the nightly dose of hospital reports.

"Anyways, there's been something nagging at me all day after today's emergency."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Today was specifically odd, to say the least," she crossed her hands and continued, "Nineteen shinobi… one casualty." Her eyes wandered outside. She remembered, with stark clarity, how the lifeless shinobi lay cold within her arms.

Her face awash in moonlight, the mood was a somber and bitter one. Although news like this was all too familiar lately, and _maybe _Sakura had gotten better at hiding it, Naruto could still see the guilt plaguing her.

"Sakura it's-"

"Not my fault, I know, I know."

She still couldn't understand how the world worked, truly—why it worked this way.

"Tsunade and I have been working non-stop and full-time for two days now. They just keep coming, like a never-ending mirage of memories, a swarm of nightmares." She frowned.

"I don't know, it's very confusing, especially today," she cast a sideways glance at her coat.

"Only one of the shinobis that came back from the mist was infected, and he was the only one—"

"—Who didn't make it," he finished.

"Exactly." She rubbed her forehead.

The land of water really did raise a big question mark.

Silence spread across the room, and for a moment, each person was lost in their own train of thought.

"Well, let's call it a day shall we?" Sakura smiled. She leaned off the sink and walked towards the hallway, only to stop midway and glance back.

"I'll leave you to it, don't stay up too late," she said. The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs slowly vanished, and Naruto was left to himself once again.

He recognized that facade she put up to run away from reality plastered right onto her face.

Sighing, he put his hands behind his neck and walked towards the window. He had something to attend to anyway.

* * *

The cool summer breeze swept across the fields. The sound of children's laughter echoed across the streets. Villagers strolled about, enjoying the calm and refreshing summer day. It was a perfect day to be outside, a peaceful sight to (her) sore eyes.

Too bad Sakura wasn't out there to enjoy it. She sighed, turning straight towards her _beloved_ desk.

'_Sulking will not help me one bit will it now,' _she scoffed. The piles of paperwork kept doubling every day. She stared at the endless hordes that legitimately popped out of nowhere, and at any time too. Heck, even some of Tsunade's paperwork was dumped into her office. Those stupid nurses at the hospital were completely useless. She huffed.

The only _real people_ pulling the reins at the hospital were her and Shizune. A drastic change was desperately calling, and its pleadings were getting louder. It was enough that the hospital became a chaotic RedZone when swarms of wounded shinobi flew in, tainting the walls with red crimson. Some new experienced recruits would have been pleasant for hell's sake.

With the slightest motivation up her sleeve, Sakura went back to work, setting a goal of signing, proofreading, and analyzing as many documents as she could come across. Besides, she knew how strainful, demanding, and flat-out pressuring Tsunade's position was. The most important position in all the village itself, in her opinion as a witness anyway; she was Tsunade's apprentice and right-hand wing after all. Working day in and day out, she wondered how Tsunade was still able to put up with all this workload piling up over the years. It was a surprise that this woman hadn't gone bonkers yet.

Well, the saké did compensate for all that workload, _probably_. And it did give one a peace of mind, even if just for a moment.

After seemingly endless hours and hours of nonstop documents and short healing sessions here and there, Sakura stopped for a moment and finally glanced at the clock. 5 pm already.

'_I've been here since 4 am,' _she huffed.

It was a good thing that there weren't any major emergencies today-seems like everyone was just fine and peacefully enjoying the cool summer day.

'_And here I am, locked inside, deprived of any social interaction on a day legitimately screaming for it,'_ she maniacally grinned.

It was just yesterday that she was pumping endless chakra into failing organ systems, stitching, kneading, and tending to bodies twisted in agony. Bodies whose souls were on the verge of _parting this life_.

'_What a sad life you have indeed,'_ she internally scoffed at herself. It's been a while since she's been on an actual real-deal mission anyway.

'_Just a few more hours to go and I'll be temporarily out of this matchbox. Gosh, I hope Ino drops by soon and drags me out of this crap,' _she thought.

Sakura was so ready for a carefree night partying with her best friend by her side. It surely has been a while since she's stepped into a club or even taken an actual break from working at the hospital. Maybe Naruto was right after all. This place really has become her primary location of residence—she works ten times more hours than she rests at her very own apartment…

After another hour of work or so (probably more), a soft twist disturbed the once still doorknob. A figure slipped through the small crack with great agility, entering the room with just the slightest of clicks and clatters—sounds that would slip past unheard by even the most well-trained ear.

Sakura, still oblivious to the intruder, kept her head down, focused on the task at hand.

After a few moments of standing there, they cleared their throat.

Sakura swiftly raised her head to meet her uninvited guest with a startled jump. She had been so focused and caught up with her own work to the extent that she hadn't even slightly noticed the chakra signature entering the room. How foolish and stupid of her. For all she knew it could have been any enemy shinobi ready to dispose of her. The intruder's identity though...she sighed with relief, then scoffed.

The man raised his eyebrows. "Getting a tad rusty aren't we..._Sakura_," said the low baritone.

While putting the famous _Icha Icha Paradise_ back in his pocket, he walked over and leaned on her desk, waiting for an answer.

Even though Sakura secretly did agree with that statement, her pride in being the best kunoichi and medical ninja in the village prevented her from admitting that he was right indeed.

So she replied, "I'm actually doing very fine. Thank you for your concern Kakashi _sensei._"

While trying to remain calm and collected, she hoped that her reply at least came out properly—gosh how cringe-worthy that reply was_. _Even she knew he wouldn't buy that crap. What a broken excuse of a responsible student she was.

Her insides snickered at her stupidity.

With a frown, Sakura leaned her elbows on the paper-covered desk and plopped her head into her sweaty palms.

"Looks like all that paperwork is getting the better of you." His eyes slightly crinkled, and she just _knew_ there was a smirk underneath the ever-elusive mask.

"Yeah, I think it is," Sakura admitted with a long exhale.

"I think you and I know just the thing you need after staying at the same boring desk for hours," he said.

"Alright fine... but it's your treat." Eyes closed with the dreamiest grin on her face, Sakura's food fantasy was met with sheer confusion.

"What?" One eyebrow lifted.

"Whattt…?" She grinned. "Hmm...I was thinking about _Zoma_," she stated. "You know, that new fancy restaurant down by the Hokage tower?" Her grin widened. "Totally my go-to place yupp!" She nodded to herself.

"They even have a gluten-free menu! Amazingly crazy right?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"Ichiraku's way too cheap if I'm going to make you repay all the bills you've avoided!" She scolded him.

Then, with a grin back on her face, she fell into her position, head seated comfortably between clammy palms and eyes closed.

"Sakura, I wasn't talking about food you know..." And with one fell swoop, he grabbed her right-elbow and hoisted it to the side, causing her entire head to fall face down and splat onto the desk.

She lifted her face with a growl and _glared_, nose red from the unwelcome table-smash.

"You bastard!" she raved, "I can see that giggle right under your mask goddammit! Shannaro!" Naruto would be fleeing in fear at the sight of her blazing green eyes.

Kakashi instinctively cringed.

He took hold of her wrist and hauled her up and out of her chair. "You know what we're actually going to be doing?" he retaliated.

"Training," he continued.

"Training?"

"Aaand we should get going right about _now_, I know for a fact that your stamina and chakra reserves _desperately_ need it—as remarked by Tsunade earlier."

"My stamina and chakra reserves need _food,_" she whined, nose scrunching up in distaste.

Silence was restored for the briefest of moments before Kakashi broke it with a random remark. "Your nose kinda looks cute when it's all beat up." Sakura's eyes widened, a dust of pink tainting her cheeks.

"You look like rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, but the freakishly pink hair seems to ruin the image..." he finished.

"What did you just say... You _dirty old man_?!" she slowly sneered while trying to stifle the wave of laughter threatening to spill forth.

"Hey now, Sakura-chan, that's not a very nice word is it? And what's with all the mixed signals my students get, tsk," he sighed.

"I was just messing with you...And for the record I'm not _that_ old." He muttered.

"I'll only be convinced once I see that with my own eyes," she protested with a grin.

"Now if I got to peek underneath the mask…" she trailed off—hands now on his face, her thumbs caressed each side of his mask-covered cheeks.

Staring at his eyes, her green emeralds glowed, intrigued. Kakashi's eyes slightly widened at their bodies' sudden proximity.

Sakura never realized how lovely Kakashi's eyes could be. Dark and heavy-lidded, they were definitely an intriguing sight.

He let out a nervous chuckle.

"Nice try Sakura." His strong arms rose and he placed his hands on hers, slowly removing them from his face—eye contact now broken. Sakura pouted.

It was still worth a shot.

Hands still intertwined, Sakura commented how large Kakashi's hands were.

"But they're...in a way, soft. They radiate a type of warmth that's very engulfing," she slowly said, breaking the contact a few moments later.

"My hands can do many _other things_..._Sakura,_" Kakashi's voice all of a sudden seemed deeper.

Sakura's eyes widened almost comically. "Wha-N-no I didn't mean it—"

"—throw punches, shuriken, and activate jutsus," he intercepted.

" R-right!" Sakura cringed at her wild imagination.

Hands in his pockets, Kakashi turned to the door.

"And you call me a pervert?" he casually remarked, smirking underneath his mask.

Baffled, as well as embarrassed, Sakura was at a loss for words.

"You asshole," she muttered under her breath.

The two shinobi then promptly left the cramped office for a scrutinizing training session.

* * *

More is on the way! Don't leave so soon :P

Constructive criticism is appreciated and welcome. This is the first time we're writing a Naruto fanfic, but we hope you guys will enjoy reading it!


	2. Chapter 2 - The Pink Clover

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Aand chapter two is finally up! The musing skeletons spent a good time on this chapter!

*PS: The "~" symbol signifies the short passing of time. Repetitive ones showing up later on in this fic will signify the same.

**AGAIN WE NOTE THAT WE ARE MULTISAKU SHIPPERS SO DO NOT BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD IF A FEW MULTISAKU MOMENTS SLIP.**

**It is also important to note that Kakashi and Sakura have nothing going on :) Thank you!**

And without further ado...

* * *

**Chapter 2**

** The Pink Clover**

* * *

She was out of breath. Practically gasping for air. Pinned to a tree and almost completely depleted of chakra, two golden bells swayed at her side, chiming a low, soft tune.

A cool breeze blew through her hair.

The silver haired shinobi cautiously approached said girl, sharingan activated and mask covering his heavy breathing.

This time, the game was different. It was his turn to acquire the bells from Sakura. This training session was a reversed, solo exam compared to the one carried out when she was a genin. Back then, Naruto and Sasuke were by her side, working together for at least one of them to take the bells from Kakashi.

And now here she was, about to lose the bells to her sensei.

Just as his fingers were mere centimeters from the two golden spheres, Sakura's body disappeared in a snap and all that was left was a log with explosive tags.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he sprinted to take cover from the detonating tags, shielding himself from the flying, sharp tree debris.

Just a few meters away stood the real Sakura, who harshly directed her chakra-infused fist to the ground. The earth rumbled and cracked with a loud roar,

shattering under her fist—a small earthquake following suit.

Her body replacement jutsu came handy in the nick of time. She watched from afar as the meteor shower came flying down on her sensei.

Her eyes widened as she watched Kakashi poof in a snap.

'_It was a damned clone all along!' _She inwardly raved. Her plan was all in vain.

She took a defensive stance and meticulously looked around, trying to find the silver haired man.

Dead silence consumed the area for a few minutes. The pink haired kunoichi became weary—kunai in hand and ready to stab.

In a sudden snap, Kakashi appeared right behind Sakura—not giving her any time to react—and tripped her over, his hand reaching for the bells.

Sakura's eyes widened as she quickly felt herself starting to lose balance.

Consequently, she reflexively hoisted a chakra-infused elbow backwards, straight at his ribs.

She fell to the ground with a loud thud, face fully covered with dirt. Kakashi was slumped against a now heavily dented tree trunk, hand clutching his torso.

A loud alarm started beeping, and Sakura grinned to herself.

Kakashi shook his head and barely managed to choke out a "I guess this sparring session is over..." coughing out a bit of blood while he was at it.

Wiping the dirt off her face and shirt, Sakura rushed to his side and inspected his ribs. She had accidentally broken one or two.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean for it to come out too strong, but in my defense, I think that blow was a moderate and maybe even low type of hit," she smiled as Kakashi barely managed a chuckle.

"Just fix me up already."

She carefully took off his vest and mesh shirt and directed her hands towards his ribs.

With the last string of chakra she could muster, she pushed out a strong surge of green glowing chakra from her hands and onto his body, eyes closed while concentrating on healing his wounds.

After a few minutes of tending to his injury Kakashi's rib-bones were back in place. Sakura ripped off a piece of her shirt and wiped the last remaining stains of blood on his torso.

"There. Fully healed," she stated with a large exhale. She suddenly felt light-headed.

"Thank you," he replied.

"They were just two broken ribs—nothing too fatal but nothing too trivial either," Sakura chuckled.

Kakashi raised his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. "You've got many cuts on your face—they're bleeding if you haven't realized."

"Ah I'm fine, they're probably nothing too drastic, I can heal them later on," Sakura said though her face felt numb.

Kakashi's fingertips suddenly glowed a slight green, cooling down her skin.

Sakura's eyes widened. She wondered when he had the time to learn this small healing technique.

Right after finishing and as if reading her mind, he replied:

"I don't know too much but it's the small healings like these that come in handy when going on solo missions and having to deal with non-major hits here and there."

Sakura put her hands on her cheeks and felt her skin. The cuts were gone. She was impressed.

"Well that was unexpected," she laughed. "I still won though."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled as he shook his head. She just knew there was a smile underneath the mask.

"You really have matured mentally and physically, even beyond my expectations."

Sakura felt proud.

"Well you're not too bad yourself sensei, those are some killer abs," she chuckled as she poked his stomach.

She placed a finger to her lips. "Naruto's are still better though," she grinned.

"Is this now a challenge?" he replied.

"I mean his are more refined, sharp around the edges kind of thing," she teased.

"What makes you so confident about the form of his body?" Kakashi began.

Then, with a wicked smile, "have you two slept—"

"—NOOOO! MY GOD!" Sakura screamed as she frantically shook her head.

"You really are an asshole sensei."

"At least messed around—?"

"Stop talking. It's none of your business." Sakura crossed her arms and huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"You didn't answer the question—"

Her face heated up. "It doesn't matter— nothing too serious happened anyway."

"He did steal your first kiss though," he teased.

"That was during the ninja war! And I was SAVING HIS LIFE," she raved.

"—aand your second?"

"Okay! So what if he did? Just shut up already. We're still best friends"

"—With benefits," he intercepted.

"NO! That didn't exist and never will!"

"If you say so," he chuckled.

Sakura shook her head and laughed to herself.

* * *

The door of the gloomy apartment softly clicked shut. Sakura felt like she was about to collapse any second. With her boots kicked-off and haphazardly thrown aside, she dragged herself onto the large blue couch of her tiny living room, spreading her arms and legs out the second they hit cushion.

Training was an absolute hell. And to make things better (_worse_), Kakashi was extra harsh on her so that she could get back in shape and fast.

She deserved a nap, and a long one too. Her eyes drooped shut the moment her head hit the armrest pillow, and as the darkness slowly descended upon her, she succumbed to her long-running fatigue.

It felt like she barely got 2 minutes of shut-eye before she was awoken from her peaceful slumber. Persistent and startling sounds caused her to crack one sleepy eye open. A quick glance to the clock told her it's been 2 hours since she got home, but the throbbing of sore muscles screamed at her to get more rest. She couldn't quite make out what these annoying loud sounds were...until it dawned on her that the continuous banging was a very relentless someone at her door.

The familiar chakra signature told her it was Ino.

With dread, Sakura got off the couch and dragged her aching body to the front door. The second she twisted the doorknob she was met with Ino barging in.

"What the hell were you busy doing forehead?!" Ino exclaimed.

"The hell Ino I was _busy_ trying to _rest_ for once! Sheesh I feel a headache coming on, thanks a lot pig."

Ino stood there for a moment, confusion written on her face.

"Forehead girl resting? HA I'm guessing you were on the verge of collapsing before the thought of resting even crossed your mind you overworking train-wreck," she laughed.

Sakura sighed. "I do really need a break…" she trailed off.

"Aaand, that's exactly why I'm hereeee!" Ino replied.

Silence echoed across the room, you could even hear the crickets chirping..and there were no crickets... damn.

Sakura, too tired to even move, lied down on her fluffy carpet. Hands behind her head, she steadily closed her eyes.

Annoyed, Ino put her cheek on her palm and thought for a moment. Her grin suddenly widened.

Trying to sound nonchalant, she started, "oh and by the way, I overheard Tsunade complaining to Shizune the other day…" Sakura's eyes remained closed.

"She mentioned something about some _gangs..._ going around _bars and stealing_ drinks 'n stuff. They even destroy furniture and threaten villagers while they're at it." The emerald eyes were still closed

Ino looking at her nails and attempting to file them, she continued.

"_Nothing too important of courseee." _

She snuck a glance to check for any reaction from the pink haired girl...

Nothing.

Realizing that she wasn't getting a response anytime soon, Ino continued with her own twist, in hopes of triggering _something_ in the motionless body lying flat on the carpet.

"Tsunade _does_ want to _get rid of them_ after all. She just can't seem to find the right _talented_ people to do it ya know."

Sakura slowly cracked one lazy eye open.

Trying to cover her excitement, Ino continued. "You know, she needs people who... are sly. Who don't create a scene. Who handle their work professionally and leave. Yeah." Ino nodded to herself. "People like that."

With both eyes now open Sakura smirked. From the start, she knew what Ino was trying to get at. Understanding all too well how the night would be spent, both the girls' grins grew wide.

"Well it _has_ been way more than a week since I've had a _night out_—I'm beyond bored," said Sakura.

"Soooo it's a YESS!?" Ino exclaimed. "Get dressed, we're going chica."

Sakura blinked, finally noticing the purple dress, heels, and makeup her friend had on. "Oh. Now?"

"Yupp," Ino continued, "actually screw that, _I'm_ dressing you up, and nu-uh, I'm not taking no for an answer Sakura."

"Ugh, fine." Sakura succumbed with a huff.

"Really? Yess. I guess you really are too tired to protest huh? Isn't it my lucky day." She dragged Sakura into her bedroom and threw the closet doors wide open.

"Hmm let's see…"

Warm energy rushed through her as Sakura stood tall in front of her mirror, Ino's chin, leaning on her shoulder, had one of the widest of grins plastered onto her accentuated features. Her impromptu makeover had her rejuvenated, and a rare confidence thrilled her to a state of pure excitement. She looked good, _really_ good. Ino did an amazing job, she had to admit.

It was around 10, and indigo tinted the once clear blue skies. Nighttime had officially fallen upon Konoha. The dark interval between dusk and dawn signaled those lurking in the shadows to emerge and carry out things best not spoken of.

In the outskirts of the village, both girls stood at the front door of some new-hit club called _Memory Lane_. With IDs in hand, they set out to spend a night worth remembering.

As they entered the club, the dreadful smell of alcohol mixed with drugs was strongly noticeable. Leaning on the railing, two meters away from the entrance, Sakura and Ino looked down to observe the atmosphere of the dance floor. Sakura made a quick scan of the club's layout, taking note of all the possible exits and backdoors.

There were two sets of stairs on both sides of the railing. Curving downwards and each forming a C-shape, they lead anyone in the mood for a kick-off start to their night straight towards the dance floor.

Flashing disco lights and confetti filled the hall. The dance floor, which was one of the largest Sakura had ever seen, was filled with people of different shapes and sizes all gathered for one sole purpose: partying.

The music was loud, but seriously inviting.

Boasting the features of any typical club, _Memory Lane_ wasn't all that special. The only _kick_ it had was the number of gangsters that had started going there recently. And that wasn't a good sign.

In the right-hand corner of the club sat an entire gang of about twenty-five men. An amateur could tell who they were due to the dozens of barely dressed women flocking around them.

"Hey!" Ino yelled at them "uhh...I heard that the baddest gang in all of Konoha was here, but I can't seem to find them… anyway, what are you losers up to?"

Sakura inwardly cringed. _'What did Ino say about not creating a scene again?'_

"What did you say you lil brat?" A black haired man covered head to toe in ink yelled at them.

"We're the deadliest gang in Fire Country," another gang member sneered.

"Now scram before you might as well end up dead," continued the man as he stood up cracking his knuckles.

"The boss ain't got no time for bitches like y'all who don't know their tiny little bounds."

Sakura looked at her childhood friend and smirked. " My insides are shaking, what about you Ino?"

"Oh absolutely."

Another gang member smashed a beer bottle against the floor.

"Well boys, ought for us to teach these lil missies a lesson for having a big mouth dontcha think?" He rolled up his sleeves and spit out his cigar. The rest followed suit.

Getting into stance, Sakura and Ino were ready.

The gang rushed at them all at once, the women screaming in the back.

Sakura and Ino blindly attacked anything in their path, rendering as many possible incapacitated and unconscious. All that while keeping their strength in check. Best not encourage any murder...

Punches and kicks were thrown everywhere. Even though the gang did land some hits, the damage was nothing in the face of Sakura's exceptional medical skills.

The fighting was surprisingly easy, except for that one brute of a man who snuck up behind Sakura, attempting to crash 3 bottles onto her head.

Realizing the movements behind her, Sakura moved just in time so that her _head _avoided the bottle-smash, but not in time to fully escape the blow unscathed.

This resulted in her fist swinging around more than she wanted it to, and crashing against the full bottled beers.

The foamy, suspiciously foul-smelling liquid splashed everywhere. Sakura gritted her teeth and watched the trail of blood freely flowing down her arm. The burning sensation quickly kicked in. It felt like she was stung by a dozen bees. _'Now is SO not the time to lose focus! Prove your worth!' _her inner self finally snapped back to reality.

Powering chakra into the entirety of her arm, she punched the man with vigor and sent him flying across the room, making him crash through two brick walls. He wasn't getting out of the hospital anytime soon after _that_.

After most of the men were beaten down, the only one standing was the supposed boss (or at least Sakura believed he was).

Trying to act all high and mighty he mindlessly ran straight towards her, arm swung back to land a punch.

With one fell swoop, Sakura landed a calculated roundhouse kick on his head, and he collapsed immediately.

After being thanked by the bartender and villagers, as well as healing Ino and herself, they were offered drinks on the house. Ino gleefully gulped down as much as she could, while Sakura sat there staring into nothingness as her friend drank herself into a stupor.

"Some gang huh?" Ino hiccuped. "This was child's play, a warm up even. HAH!"

In hopes of getting some peace of mind and time to herself, Sakura quickly excused herself and left the bar, leaving no time for Ino to protest. Ino would get back home safely; she knew so from past experience.

Walking in the opposite direction of her apartment, Sakura made her way towards a small and discreet, yet cozy bar. It wasn't a common bar that everyone had heard of. It was more of an obscure, unnoticeable tiny place around the corner where one would have to squint their eyes to actually spot it if they were standing right across the street—that kind of thing.

Even the Hokage herself could spend her night there without anyone so much as giving a glance in her direction

Sakura had no idea what pushed her to enter… or perhaps she had; was it so familiar a place that her feet had subconsciously taken her in that direction? Probably.

She didn't even know the bar's name, or if it even had one to begin with. The only thing identifying the front door from those of the surrounding civilian homes was the wooden sign of a pink clover hanging above the door's frame.

And there you had it:_ 'The Pink Clover_'.She smirked.

It was quiet...until the chimes of tiny bells and the creaking of the wooden door signified the new entry. The bartender, who was busy cleaning a glass, gave her a short glance before getting back to work. The wooden beams creaked as Sakura walked across the room, trying to find a comfortable seat. It wasn't full—only three occupied places or so it seemed.

Sakura glanced across the room.

Recognizing one of the three faces left her in absolute shock.

The figure poured their drink with a lightness that came only to those in blissful peace of mind.

Of all places, Sakura would have never expected that _they_ would have ended up here.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Sorry we took a bit of time to post!

We aren't really sure when we'll be posting our next chapter(s) but hopefully soon!

So what do you guys think of chapter two? Constructive criticism is highly appreciated :)

We wonder that mystery person Sakura found at the pink clover is hehe ;)))

Any thoughts on whom it might be?

Stick around for more coming up and the Musing Skeletons hope to see you next time xxx

psst... psst... if you haven't realized, this fanfic is run by a duo of friends! Crazy right?

**We have our fellow humble skeleton writer and awesome musing editor to give you guys the amazing fanfic you deservee ;)**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Blank Canvas

**AUTHORS NOTE:** Heyyyy guys chapter 3 is finally up! Crazy right? The musing skeletons have been getting really active and inspired to write and edit lately so that means more chapters will be coming your way! Hope you will enjoy it and please feel free to leave a comment of any sort!

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**CHAPTER 3**

**THE BLANK CANVAS**

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Sakura put down her glass softly, swirling its few contents in slow circles.

The night was serene; the figure across her strangely sober.

"I overheard some talk the other day," exhaled Sakura. "More of complaints actually: apparently the children of this generation are facing serious emotional and physical difficulties after the trauma of the war." She looked down.

"This pent up hatred regarding the concept of the ninja world itself triggered a kind of unresponsiveness and decline in performance at the academy. To put it flatly, their behaviour is rather odd," she continued.

The figure slowly shifted, and inquired, "do you not think the decline in performance and umm, what did you call it—unresponsiveness—might be due to the sudden peace not only in Konoha, but the whole ninja world?"

Sakura stopped swirling her glass

The woman sighed, a pinch of red tinting her cheeks due to excess sake.

Sakura remained quiet, waiting for what she had to say next.

"We haven't _ever_ had such a peaceful time to live in, not in the entire history of shinobi… don't you think things are calming down and so the decline is a natural response to it all? For the better?"

"It _is _a great time to be alive, and I'm so happy we finally created a peace that will welcome the new generations with open arms...but what of those who witnessed the struggle we had to push through so horribly to get to this point?" Sakura furrowed her brows.

"The cycle of hatred and guilt, sorrow, and sadness… I don't think it will ever end if we don't actively _try_ to put an end to it."

'_It's not going to just fade away with the passing of time.'_

"—I might be a great healer, I might be able to get rid of the physical scars… but scarring of the mind is not as easily healed," replied Sakura.

'_So many of us have gotten here having to carry heavy baggage on our shoulders, weighing on our minds… maybe eating at us in guilt, maybe chipping at our hearts in grief', _she thought.

"I can see clearly in the faces of my comrades, my enemies… it's lead so many astray. So much could have been avoided in this war if the children— still gullible to change and careful healing—had the opportunity to undergo therapy available to emotionally mend all those scars," Sakura finished. She stared intently at the woman across her, and found the same intensity mirrored in those honey-brown eyes.

The only other woman—aside from her—whose violet diamond-seal decorated their forehead with prestige, sat pridefully just a meter away from her. That woman was the reason Sakura attained the one hundred healings in the first place. Welcoming her with open and loving arms, she was the one who cultivated the once weak and crying Sakura into the confident, beautiful, and exceptional shinobi she was today. Sakura owed a great debt to Lady Tsunade indeed.

Tsunade slammed her glass on the table with a grand smile, poured herself a new one, and tipped her head back and downed it all in one great gulp. She then set her glass to the side, leaned back into her chair, and crossed her arms. "I always knew you were a genius… but you've grown up so much Sakura, matured beyond my expectations in these past few years." And then, with a rare, genuine smile, "I'm very proud to call you my apprentice."

Sakura's grin grew wide.

After a small pause in which both women were left to their own train of thought, Tsunade grinned, breaking the timid silence with a hiccup and sneaky question.

"So, any _keepers _lately?"

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed.

"You've been spending _quite_ _some time_ in clubs recently_..._anyone _special_ catch your eye?" she winked.

Sakura's eyes slightly widened.

She was seriously in no mood for this conversation. She didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to think about _him_. Because now was seriously not the time to dig up a mess of flustered emotions buried deep in the past.

'_It's not like I have much of a love life anyway_.' She inwardly sighed.

"With all due respect Lady Tsunade, I'd rather not talk about _that_ particular aspect of my life… I mean, there's not much to talk about anyway," Sakura huffed.

"Nonsense!" Tsunade once again banged her empty glass onto the table. "There's always something juicy to talk about in that aspect… you're young and beautiful; there's no reason not to indulge in a little bit of _romance_ to spice things up," she continued while pouring yet another glass.

"That's not what I meant, shishou… it's not that I don't want to," Sakura sighed, trying to keep calm and collected.

"I'm freaking 21, it's been three full years since the end of the war, and I'm just absolutely hopeless." Annoyed, Sakura turned her head and stared at the assortment of drinks stacked behind the wooden counter.

Cheeks reddened by the liquor, Tsunade huffed in reply. She then swiped up Sakura's untouched glass and filled it to the brim with the sake remaining in the bottle. "Drink up. You need it, kid."

Sakura grabbed the glass to cold lips and swallowed with a grimace as the liquid-fire left a scorching trail down her throat. In a sudden leap of false courage, she blurted out, "I don't care about him anymore."

"Sakura…"

"I don't, shishou, trust me. This isn't coming out of nowhere. I've thought it through long and hard, believe me...and I've realized, I just don't have the energy to care anymore. My feelings are long gone." '_They've faded away with the passing of time, as years went by and they remained untouched by the flame they were waiting to be ignited by,' _ she elaborated in her mind.

Tsunade was quiet.

"It seems unbelievable, I know. I'm aware of how I used to be…of my obsession since I was a kid. I can see that clearly now… and I can only see it because I've overcome those feelings. For the better."

"Besides, all he left me with was a forehead poke and a 'thank you'. He never even bothered to contact me when I'm sure he's had countless chances, and he's been gone for years now," Sakura mumbled.

"I was deluded to even think I stood a chance. Besides, I can't sit around and wait for him forever. I have a life as well you know. I'm not stupid nor that desperate. I don't even know what spurred him to say those words before he departed."

She rambled on.

"Did he really think that one simple 'thank you' would make me blindly fall into his arms again and wait for him like some desperate, lonely child? That all the scars and wounds engraved in me simply disappeared?"

"Pathetic" she mumbled in a sharp tone. Her brows were furrowed and her gaze was cold.

"I'm sick and tired of being rejected my entire life. I'm sick of having to deal with the thought that I'd _still_ be stuck loving him with the possibility that he might never come back."

Sakura clutched her chest. Head down and bangs covering her face, She felt the alcohol taking a toll on her. She bit her lip in an attempt to fight back the tears threatening to spill forth.

"It hurts shishou," her voice cracked. "It hurts to realize that no matter what you do to move one step closer to someone, you'd only get thrown away twenty steps back."

Sakura harshly rubbed her eyes and shook her head. It's about time she stopped shedding meaningless tears over him. Squeezing the bridge of her nose and fighting back her sniffles, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, composing herself.

"I'm going to move on," she promised, "I _have_ moved on. I don't have time to blindly chase after nothing." Her hand clenched into a fist. "And it's going to stay that way."

It was while taking a moment to collect her thoughts, that Sakura realized she truly had enough of this nonsense. It was not just talk, not anymore. A strange elation filled her chest at the revelation.

"I've shaped a newly-formed philosophy in regards to the concept of love. I was a feeble and foolish little girl who based her feelings on mere attraction for the most part."

"My once scribbled and torn canvas has now become smooth and blank," Sakura finished—inner self slightly stunned at the uttered words.

"Ah, I see. You have sort of become a _Tabula Rasa _in that aspect then," Tsunade said.

"In a sense..."

Finally, a reaction; the edges of Tsunade's lips slowly turned up into a gentle smile as she spoke. "I guess you didn't need the sake afterall. Damn, what a waste, trying to coax a child into confession when really before me is a full-grown kunoichi who has matured past her mentor's care." Her smile turned sly.

"I approve of your decision _warmly_, Sakura. It was a long time coming. Too bad the Uchiha missed out on an amazing woman," Tsunade stated.

Sakura gripped her glass. "I'm willing to accept new experiences that walk into my life. Besides, now that I think of it, I kind of already had that going for me at a time."

"Ahh, I remember. _Naruto_." Tsunade smirked.

Sakura's face cringed.

"Wellll…" She was at a loss for words. She knew what she had done was impulsive and was in denial of her actions for a long time.

"We just fooled around for a bit but it didn't go too far though; I guess we both secretly knew it wouldn't last. I'm sure Naruto knew that I was sick of thinking about Sasuke and just needed a way to disconnect myself from him for a while." She sighed.

"I know it was impulsive… and maybe it was based more on lust than genuine feelings, but that doesn't mean I didn't love him endlessly. I still love him. I've always loved him...and I know that he loves me back, but the difference is that it's not the type of love you'd have towards a partner...if you get what I mean."

In an attempt to further emphasize her point: "I love him as someone who I know will always be by my side to support me...and he learned to love me only that same way too, even though we both knew it was hard for him"

Honey-brown eyes shifted their gaze towards another Sake bottle. Face reddened from the liquor, Tsunade shook her head. "You know…" she began, as she reached for the bottle and poured herself a final glass, "—you really remind me of myself when I was younger."

Sakura's ears perked up in sudden interest.

"I wouldn't ever admit it to anyone— not even over my dead body— but me and Jiraiya might have had a similar experience..." Tsunade chuckled.

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't control the wave of laughter threatening to spill forth.

"Impossible. No way."

"Now shut up before I make you drown in endless hordes of hospital sheets and medical scrolls and jutsus."

"Okay okay my lips are sealed," Sakura said as she pressed her index finger to her lips.

"His kisses really were something though. That damned Toad sage," muttered Tsunade under her breath. A fond smile spread across her features at the memory.

"Oh what? Naruto's are really sloppy and rushed. But I guess he makes it up by being good at many _other things..._"

"I thought you said you guys didn't go _that _far" Tsunade teased.

"Being drunk doesn't count shishou. Besides, everyone has their own version of '_going too far', _" mumbled Sakura with a hiccup, cheeks tainted red. "Heh."

Tsunade laughed. "So are you admitting that the Uzumaki is good in—"

"—I must admit that we drank a bit too much today," Sakura intercepted.

"Nothing can beat the hokage's tolerance for liquor!"

"Oh how we all aim to be like you shishou. I'm serious now, what's the crack to the code. Do you take some sort of special herbal mixture to keep you from vomiting all your insides out?"

"Master's secret," said the godaime with a wink.

Standing to take her leave, she called out to the bartender and instructed he 'put it on her tab'.

"I'm beyond glad you've come to your senses," Tsunade continued with a smirk.

Sakura giggled, the liquor-induced flush spreading from her cheeks to her nose and ears.

"Oh, I'm _way _more glad, trust me," she snorted, then lifted herself from her seat only to stumble out unbalanced.

"Damn I've forgotten what a lightweight you are Sakura. I don't trust you in this state." Tsunade grabbed her arms and brought her upright.

"Thank you for all that," Sakura mumbled.

Tsunade turned her head to her.

"I really needed that. It helped to tell someone and get it off my mind," Sakura clarified.

Tsunade smiled softly.

"I'm glad I could help, Sakura."

Halfway to her house, Sakura suddenly halted, stopping Tsunade, who was helping her move along, with her. She came to coherence. Now lucid, she gently lifted Tsunade's supporting arms off her shoulders.

"You've dispelled the alcohol from your system already?" Tsunade plied. Sakura nodded. "Well then, your tolerance is improving. Maybe one day you'll be able to hold your liquor as well as me… nevermind, that's impossible with your character. You're too responsible," Tsunade laughed as Sakura's brows furrowed.

"Shishou, go home and rest. I'm completely sober right now, I can make it home."

"Ah, you go get some goodnight's sleep too Sakura._You're_ having a very important mission tomorrow," Tsunade replied.

Sakura stared at her, perplexed.

"Oh don't expect anything from me now, it was supposed to be a sudden summoning anyway. Now go and rest, you need it."

The following morning, three figures were gathered around the Hokage desk.

Tsunade clasped her hands together, mouth hidden behind them.

She began, "now that you know how urgent this is, you have to get there in 2 days—"

"But it would take us 3 days to get to Sunagakure without any breaks, then—" Sakura interrupted.

"I wasn't done yet," Tsunade huffed. "Where was I now?"

"Oh," she reached down, as if looking for something. Opening her drawer, she took out a brown leather pouch.

"I'm not supposed to do this, but the urgency of this mission calls for it…" she trailed off. She handed the pouch to Kakashi only for it to be snatched up by Naruto's wandering hands.

"Soldier pills, I'm guessing?" Kakashi stated.

Naruto sniffed at the contents of the pouch, grimacing in disgust. "Blakh! This brings back bad memories." He said with a wrinkled nose.

The other two shinobi raised their brows. "Sakura-chan's food pills tasted like absolute shit!"

With a fake smile and clenched teeth, Sakura punched his head, causing him to yelp.

The vein on Tsunade's forehead throbbed, her eyebrow ticking in annoyance. "Enough you two!" They shut up immediately.

"Anyway, use these soldier pills to get you there in 2 days time. I expect no less," Tsunade said.

"Now go!"

In a glimpse of the eye, the three shinobi scattered, leaving the Hokage to herself.

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**AUTHORS NOTE: ****Just to be clear, we are not Sasuke haters but we cannot deny the fact that Sasuke indeed has brought Sakura a lot of pain. Sakura doesn't hate him but she obviously doesn't necessarily like him at the moment. Love can be very conflicting and filled with plot twists so stick around for some juicy events coming up!

(Don't worry, Sasusaku moments will show up in due time;) Although there is a long way for him to prove he deserves her, we hope you enjoyed this chapter and we can't wait to see you next time!

Likes and comments are highly appreciated so please don't forget to show some support in return for awesome content!  
Sooo Just to clear the air, Naruto and Sakura did not go too far. Thank you.  
Spoiler: Sasuke will be showing up in a couple of chapters from now so stick around!


	4. Chapter 4 - The Ocean's Trance

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_Maybe this chapter is shorter than usual but I guess it's still fine. I (the writer) personally have not been feeling the same excitement in comparison with the start of this fic after facing a lot of backlash regarding some slight multisaku hints. Anyone who finds themselves distressed and uncomfortable reading a multisaku fanfic can simply close their tab...it's simple. In the end Sasusaku will always prevail since it is cannon, but that doesn't mean that Sakura can't meet other people as well until that happens. The whole point of the story is for Sasuke to prove he deserves her back even after causing her so much pain.

Thank you for your understanding and I hope you guys would stick around for the coming chapters. Trust me, things are going to get interesting from here on out.

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**CHAPTER 4**

** THE OCEAN'S TRANCE**

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After two exhausting days, they finally arrived. Standing at the entrance of Sunagakure, hot scorching air blew past them.

As they wandered past the rows of identical sand huts, villagers casually passed by, going about their day. They got a few glances here and there; maybe some had recognized them. After saving the world they were quite the well-known heroes, even to civilians, and the white cloaks they donned did not help in keeping their identities fully obscure.

Sakura glimpsed flyers around every corner of each street they passed through. Curiosity eating at her, she squinted in an attempt to read one. The contents of the flyer were details on a missing girl, a picture of her, her name, age, and the date she went missing. Sakura called Naruto and Kakashi on either side of her, who also seemed to have taken notice of the different flyers held up everywhere. She stopped abruptly, and the two men came to a halt.

"Look," Sakura pointed, holding up a flyer. "Children have been going missing...how awful..." Her heart clenched.

"Ah, I'd heard of disappearances like these a while ago... I'm guessing they're old then," said Kakashi as he and Naruto moved to take a closer look.

"No, look at the dates of their disappearances," Sakura slowly said. "Those are recent..."

"I spotted flyers with pictures different than this one," Naruto remarked.

"These flyers all seem to have one thing in common," mumbled Sakura.

Naruto blinked, "other than that they're all about missing people?"

"The age group," she clarified. "All of the flyers appear to be about missing _teenagers_, or preteens, too…" she stated.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Good observation Sakura," he commented. He grabbed another flyer and studied it with quick precision.

"Let's not worry about this at the moment. We can ask Gaara and investigate the issue later," he concluded.

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but Kakashi continued nevertheless, "for now, we have a mission to complete, and the assigned mission comes first," he stated, and Sakura's sense of duty returned to her in an urgent press.

Naruto looked jumpy with impatience. "Gaara needs you Sakura, let's get going dattebayo!" In the blink of an eye he had jumped onto the roof of the hut next to them and began his leaping sprint, Sakura and Kakashi quick on his tail.

After reaching the center of the village, the Kazekage's spherical tower was finally fully within sight.

As the trio hurried towards it, they spotted a group of shinobi walking out.

Judging by their headbands, Sakura remarked that they were from the mist. She wondered what they were doing all the way here in Suna. '_But then again, with the newly formed Shinobi Alliance, this isn't too strange, is it?'_ she thought.

As the group of shinobi passed right by them, a sudden bump to her shoulder caught Sakura off-guard. She turned to see who the offender was. And it was at that moment Sakura felt as if she had fallen into a trance.

Those eyes.

A dazzling azure blue. All caught up in eyes as deep as the ocean itself—welcoming, yet full of mysteries lurking within its depths—she never wanted to look away. Again she marveled at their color; they were a distinguished shade of blue. Eyes of gleaming depths that seemed to peer into her soul, unraveling secrets that were supposed to be kept tucked away in sheltered darkness.

She felt like everything around her was moving in slow motion. As if time itself was coming to a stop.

A shiver rushed across her skin. She found herself rendered immobile, entranced, even seized by this intense and possibly confused gaze.

Beneath those fiery blue eyes Sakura was barely able to catch a mouth gently twisting up into a smirk.

In a blink of an eye, the captivating gaze faded into the seemingly retreating group, disappearing completely out of sight.

It all felt like a blur. A fantasy that had ended too abruptly.

_Confusion dawned upon her. Was this all a small snippet from a figment of her imagination? _

'_No. It couldn't be…she could never have even dreamed to see such a serene gaze… Was she exhausted to the extent of hallucination? Deliria?' _even her roaring inner-self remained silent.

Unwavered by the voices seemingly calling out to her, she did not want to resurface the vast ocean she was trapped in _yet_. That feeling of drowning within its depths was surprisingly comforting, cradling her once raging, confused emotions in a soothing embrace. It felt as if she was in a genjutsu of some sort. A good one though.

A small nudge from the low baritone snapped her back to reality. The trance was over.

"Sakura?" Kakashi.

"Are you alright?" Naruto.

Confusion etched onto their faces, they waited for her reply.

Finally in a state of coherent thought, Sakura realized that they were expecting her to respond.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine," she quickly mumbled while shaking her head. She found it best to shrug it off.

"Let's get this mission started." She quickly rushed towards the tower, uncertain faces tailing right behind her.

Four Sand shinobi were waiting for them at the entrance of the Kazekage tower.

As they entered the giant dome, Sakura quickly glanced back, not exactly knowing why. '_It's as if I am subconsciously searching for something_... _but I can't lose focus...the mission is a priority after all…' _her inner-self berated her.

They were escorted through the tower. Passing through long hallways in endless spirals, it seemed like one large, endless maze.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, the Sand shinobi finally came to a halt. In front of them in all its glory stood a grand, towering door. The doorknobs slowly twisted and revealed what was once hidden behind the gold-adorned black door.

On the far right was a king-sized bed and under its sheets laid the ill Kazekage, a mass of dulled red hair covering his eyes. His cheeks were flushed, and the sweat trickling down his face explicitly illustrated his bad health.

Kankuro and Temari stood at each side of the bed. After seeing the trio, their once tightened faces sagged with relief, like some weight-even though small-had been lifted off their shoulders.

Sakura rushed to Gaara's side, scanning his body and pinpointing all traceable irregularities.

"What are the complications he's been facing?" inquired Sakura.

"He just suddenly fell ill, and hasn't been able to get out of bed in _days _and he wouldn't tell us what happened either," replied Temari.

"Even the best medical teams and most experienced doctors in Suna can't figure out what exactly is wrong with him," continued Kankuro. "So we directly contacted the Leaf for help from Konoha's best medic."

"What they _were_ able to note was that some external factor attacked his body, slowly spreading through his system-so slowly in fact that we weren't able to notice anything was wrong until it got out of hand," Temari said.

"He's slipping away Sakura…" Temari's brows came together. "Save him..._please,"_ she whispered with quiet urgency.

Sakura pumped chakra into her hands and moved along Gaara's body.

After a couple minutes of scanning his internal organs, she bit her lip.

Sakura felt like there was something really _fishy_ about this _sudden illness._..

"It's some sort of implicit substance-a drug, really-that slowly rips the body apart," she started.

"It triggers negative immune responses, where the immune system attacks the body's healthy cells and tissues. This leads to the slow failure of organ systems, like they're preparing to be put in a state of halt. Basically the body is destroying itself...a slow painful death," she finished.

'_It seems like he's been injected or stabbed by a long ,thin, and ridiculously small weapon of some sort —the culprit was highly skilled and subtle,' _she mentally noted.

The tension was so thick a knife could have sliced clean through it. "What?" Naruto exclaimed. "Sakura you've gotta do something!"

"BUT at the moment," Sakura continued, "Gaara's organs are still on the _verge_ of dysfunction, so I'm thankfully just in time. He's unconscious due to chronic fatigue," she continued. "I have to extract whatever this is and analyze it over this period of treatment," Sakura said. "I need a medic team and supplies fast. It would also be best if the rest of you waited outside..."

Sakura gathered chakra into her hands, palms glowing green. She had two things in mind to accomplish: first, getting rid of the intruding substance, and second, healing the damage done to the organs.

After hours of excruciating extraction and tremendous healing input, Sakura was able to remove at least up to twenty percent of the toxin.

Her chakra reserves were starting to run dangerously low, so she decided that the rest would need careful and continuous effort carried out in the next few days. It was best for both Gaara's strained body and hers if the process was carried out in batches instead of in one messy sitting. Plus, she would need to form an antidote using the extracted toxins before she could cure him fully.

After checking up on his chakra levels, Sakura finally concluded her healing session for the day.

It had been four days since operation-heal-Gaara had commenced, and Sakura was more exhausted than ever. After dragging herself to her room, she flopped onto her bed.

Before the darkness fully consumed her, her thoughts nonchalantly wandered to a certain young man with a captivating gaze...she hadn't seen those eyes since then.

She probably wouldn't ever see them again anyway. She sighed.

'_I'm beginning to think I've imagined you all along,'_ she thought.

Exhaustion steadily taking its toll, Sakura succumbed to deep slumber.

With the dawn of a new day, Sakura drowsily slipped out of bed and got ready for her daily dose of healing sessions. Slipping on her boots and white coat, she made her way towards Gaara's room.

The toxin extraction, for the most part, went smoothly, up to fifty percent having been already removed. It was tiring though—a few complications slipped in here and there—but they were nothing Sakura's experience and skill couldn't handle.

As the day went by she continuously exhausted her chakra, pumping the green working magic through her hands and into Gaara's organs.

Naruto and Kakashi constantly stopped by the operating room to check up on her and supply her with extra chakra if needed.

They also had a lot going on their plates. They spent all their time patrolling the sand village in addition to inquiring and investigating Gaara's plight with the mist shinobis, who were also sent to Sunagakure for the same reason. They barely had any sleep as they worked hard to keep the village's security in check.

Time quickly flew by. She started healing Gaara in the early morning and the next thing she knew night had already fallen upon Sunagakure.

After a quick checkup, making sure that his chakra levels and organs were stable, Sakura's duty for the day finally came to a close.

It was intense, excruciating work indeed. She even skipped breakfast and lunch for three days straight and survived on mere soldier pills. She couldn't help it. The role of medics first and foremost was to go out there and tend to those in need of aid, put others before themselves, and make sure that even at their final moments the patient was tended to.

The broken excuses of doctors and nurses found these days was truly absurd. It just drove her mad. So many lives could have been saved...

Dragging herself through the corridors almost half-dead, Sakura leaned against the wall to catch her breath. She felt like she was already on the verge of collapsing. She didn't even have the energy to fetch herself some dinner. Naruto and Kakashi were nowhere to be found.

Her chakra levels seriously did get messed up today. The extreme fatigue was consuming her. She always overworked herself.

'_Old habits die hard,'_ she half-smiled.

The feeling of her legs failing her slowly dawned upon her. She knew that she was in really bad shape. Right before submitting to the darkness, her inner-self gave her a well-deserved wake up call. She seriously couldn't collapse in the middle of a hallway for God's sake!

The halls were so tight that barely two people could walk side by side.

'_Imagine you are in enemy territory and you need to get to safety, _

_ you seriously did not train for years to end up like this!' her inner-self screeched with stubborn refusal. _

Sakura snapped out of her daze and forced herself to move.

Eyes drooping closed and blindly dragging herself across the tight halls, a sudden bump to her shoulder seriously startled her. The impact made her lose balance and she was ready to accept the fate of an awkward floor-smash.

A few seconds passed, and after cracking both eyes open Sakura realized that she never hit the ground.

Instead, it appeared that she was standing almost obliquely, her right hand entangled in another, a tall figure towering over her.

The arm around her was muscular as it encircled her waist in a strong grasp.

She slowly looked up to sneak a glance and thank the figure who had saved her from the ever-so awkward fall.

And it was at that moment she saw them.

_Those ocean eyes._

Staring in complete awe and becoming absolutely baffled, her jaw unconsciously slightly dropped.

That same smirk made its way across his glistening features, adorning a beautiful face.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE: **As the summary stated, Sakura indeed did decide to give love another chance in an attempt to forget about Sasuke... so let's see how things really unfold...

Constructive criticism is appreciated as always :)


	5. Chapter 5 - The Droplet's Madness

**Author's Note: **Aaaannnddd there we have it chapter 5 is finally out people!

Just a quick reminder: the "~" symbol signifies the passing of you enjoy xx —MuSiNg SkeLeToNs—

(See the end of the chapter for **more notes****.)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

** THE DROPLET'S MADNESS**

* * *

_A single droplet of water fell, an echoing drip followed suit._

There was surprisingly no hard impact on the ground. Intriguing.

It was past midnight.

Back in an upright position, a hand still entangled within hers held her for balance.

It felt like those fiery, entrancing eyes were peering right into her soul.

She blinked, swallowing hard.

Her insides urged her to at least utter a word or so.

"I-I...thank you," was all the frazzled pinkett could muster.

_Intriguing._

A smile slowly made its way across the person's face. They grinned.

"A bit clumsy aren't we," they began.

She slowly untangled her hand from theirs, and studied the figure's face.

Dark eyebrows perked up.

Realizing she was supposed to respond, her eyes suddenly widened.

"What?" they chuckled.

"I-uh..nothing, nothing at all," she quickly replied.

With the drowsiness taking a toll on her, Sakura realized that her chakra reserves were too low for her liking.

She placed a palm on her forehead and closed her eyes in hopes of soothing her now throbbing head. She felt a fever slowly forming.

"Are you... lost?" The person began. "You seem quite disoriented," they continued.

"I'm just really tired," Sakura muttered.

"I was getting back to my room," she continued.

"Well in that case, perhaps you'll need some aid getting back," they replied. "I'll escort you there."

"Ah no it's fine I can make my way—"

"—In that state I doubt you'll be able to even find a sense of direction. Let's go,' they intercepted.

Trusting a complete stranger did make her very skeptical. It surely was a dangerous move. With her insides in turmoil, Sakura was conflicted. She knew that she couldn't make a run for it even if she tried to. The halls were a ghost town.

However, reality is still reality, and here she was in a state not far from deliria and loss of consciousness. What could go right?

With no energy whatsoever to argue or possibly fight, Sakura took the gamble. She seriously just needed some rest. Fighting would have been her last option.

"Whatever...okay," was all she managed to mumble.

Hands behind his neck, the person nonchalantly walked right beside the exhausted girl, keeping a small eye on her along the way.

As they reached the front of her door, the mist shinobi came to a stop.

Feeling as if she was about to collapse, Sakura impatiently opened the door and directly dumped herself onto her bed. It was a stupid move indeed.

'_But heck I'm too tired for shit okay,' _she inwardly scoffed.

Unable to concentrate on her surroundings, Sakura placed a hand on her throbbing forehead. It was burning. She officially felt completely delirious. Naruto and Kakashi were nowhere to be found.

"Have I gone mad?" She wondered.

"I'm afraid so, you seem entirely bonkers—"

It was at that moment Sakura realized that what was supposed to be an internal question was actually spoken out loud. Embarrassed, she cringed.

"—but I'll tell you a secret…" the shinobi then slipped past her open door and made his way straight towards her, leaning in so close that his mouth was mere centimeters away from her ear. Sakura became petrified.

Cold icy breath fanned across her heated skin.

"...all the best people are," he finished.

Though she wouldn't admit it, Sakura felt shivers roll down her spine. Feeling like her head was starting to cool down, her mind went blank.

As the shinobi turned to leave, she found herself blurting out, "I didn't catch your name!"

Standing in the middle of her room with his back towards her, his head slowly turned towards his left shoulder—half of his face glistening under the radiant moonlight.

The scene was sublime.

The smallest of smirks was found decorating his handsome features.

"Yato," he declared.

Sakura imagined a droplet of water falling into a clear pond, an echo following suit.

And with a fleeting glance, the man was out of sight, and the door closed with a soft click.

She smiled to herself as she felt the telltale soft burn of a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Still too exhausted to comprehend what had just happened, she suddenly felt a cool sensation wash upon her. It was soothing; Sakura felt at _peace_.

With a smile on her face, her eyelids drooped closed, and she succumbed to dreamless slumber.

Two weeks in Sunagakure had passed in the blink of an eye. Sakura had managed to become close to Yato, who coincidentally happened to be working alongside Naruto and Kakashi in unraveling the possible suspects for Gaara's ambush.

She remembered how she spent sleepless nights alongside Yato, sitting on the roofs of sand huts and having endless conversations about life and many other things. Naruto would always join but would sleep midway. The poor guy was exhausted.

They both learned a lot about each other when it came to desires, dreams, fears, hobbies, and ambitions—basic things that shaped a person. She never really had anybody close to her except for Ino and Naruto. Yato had apparently proven her otherwise.

And now here she was, standing in front of the up and running Kazekage.

Naruto, gleeful as ever—with that famous grin plastered onto his face—enveloped Gaara in a tight bear hug, catching him off-guard.

"I'm so glad you're okay Gaara, nothing can beat our Sakura-chan's awesome medical skills," he beamed with joy.

"It's a relief to see you back in good health, Kazekage-sama," Kakashi added.

"Please, call me Gaara, Kakashi."

After a full two weeks spent in Sunagakure, they said their goodbyes.

Right before they were about to leave, a familiar voice called out to the three.

"Oh hey Yato whatsuppp!" started Naruto.

After jogging towards them Yato cast the three a smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Naruto-san." He extended his arm and shook Naruto's hand, who then proceeded to give him a big bear hug and a pat on the back—a typical Naruto gesture. "We're basically best buds now," Naruto beamed.

"Kakashi-san," after giving the silver-haired shinobi a nod, Kakashi replied with "it was good working with you as well Yato-san."

Ocean blue eyes then directed themselves towards the pinkett standing between the two men. Green emeralds glowed in his direction.

Yato smiled.

"And of course...Sakura, it has been my utmost pleasure to meet a lovely kunoichi such as yourself."

He swiftly took her hand into his, thumb caressing her knuckles. He then raised her hand and placed a cool kiss on it, mouth lingering for a few moments before shifting his lips away from her pale skin—a typical gentlemanly gesture.

"It was nice meeting you Yato," Sakura smiled.

'_I guess it all ends here,'_ she solemnly thought. She didn't want it to end here though. For the first time ever, in the past two weeks she had felt a slight tingling in her stomach towards a person other than Sasuke.

For the first time ever, it was dawning upon her—the possibility of starting to fall for someone else.

She didn't want it to disappear.

Mustering up her courage, Sakura managed to speak in a half-broken tone.

"Will I... ever see you again?"

There was a pause.

"Of course," Ocean blue replied in a promising tone

Voices called out his name from the back. Yato turned towards his two comrades, who happened to be standing a few meters away from the four. They were both tall and well built, as well as pale with navy hair and eyes that were a much darker shade than Yato's.

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye... I'll see you guys around,' he stated, before setting off in the two's direction.

"Yeah you know it dattebayo!" screamed Naruto.

And the three leaf shinobi set out into the desert to return to Konoha once again.

Finally at the gates of the village, a gust of cold wind swept through her hair. It felt good to be home.

The drastic shift from the dry winds of Suna to the refreshing breeze in Konoha really did freshen her back up.

Back at the Hokage tower, they reported their completed mission.

"I'm glad it all went smoothly. Of course, I didn't expect anything less from you three."

"In all honesty, Sakura's the one who did all the work, Lady Tsunade," Kakashi replied.

"Yeah good ol' Saku-chan can heal anyone." Naruto smirked.

Kakashi presented two written reports to the Hokage.

After the debriefing was over, Kakashi and Naruto left the room, Sakura lingering.

"So," Tsunade started, "enlighten me. What have you come across during your stay?"

"Other than healing the Kazekage, of course," she added.

Sakura opened her backpack and took out a flyer, placing it on her shishou's desk.

"Ah." Honey-brown eyes gazed at the paper. "I've overheard that complications like these have been on the rise lately," Tsunade remarked. "Rumor has it that it might even reach Konoha."

"They've already spread throughout the Mist and Suna, it's only natural that it reaches us too," she sighed.

"Well then what are we going to do about it?" Sakura plied.

"We must tighten security and keep a close eye on who enters and exits the village."

"That's all we can do?"

"For the time being, yes. We don't want to create unwanted attention—that would just give way to unnecessary panic."

Sakura reached for the pouch on her right hip and took out sealed tubes filled with the toxin she extracted from Gaara's body.

"While I was treating the Kazekage and analyzing the substance that had infected him, I found some sort of resemblance to the toxin that had previously poisoned one of our leaf shinobi...one who came wounded on their way back from the mist," she stated.

Honey-brown eyes widened. "You did?"

Nodding, Sakura continued, "I had thought that a possibility, with the recent rise of infections like this...Lady Tsunade, you've taught me to trust my instincts, and my instincts are telling me that there's something very strange going on. It's very apparent that Gaara had been ambushed and injected with a much higher and stronger dose. And the fact that he has no recollection whatsoever on what happened to him and who might have ambushed him makes it even harder to pinpoint the people responsible for such vile actions." She crossed her arms.

"Healing him was one of the most excruciating and difficult jobs I've ever done in my entire life as a medic. It seems like much stronger versions of this drug are being meticulously developed, and at an alarming rate as well," Sakura stated, tone intense.

"It was only a few weeks ago when that one konoha shinobi came back infected from the land of water," Tsunade mumbled.

"The memory-loss aspect of this drug is a major issue as well…" She clenched her fists. "You're right, the drug's quick progression is an eye-opener. Maybe they were testing out its volatility on the leaf shinobis—a mock version of it."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"In the wrong hands, a drug like this can destroy almost anything," muttered Tsunade, her eyebrows furrowed.

The Hokage swiped the phone lying on her desk, abruptly calling for an assistant.

"Take these tubes to the laboratory, have them quickly put away for further inspection."

"What are you waiting for?! GO!" The assistant clumsily scrambled out of the room, closing the door with a soft thud.

"Tch, those measly assistants not knowing how to do the simplest of jobs these days…pathetic."

Tsunade reached for her drawer and took out a large blue and gold coated scroll. "Speaking of the land of water, a team of Mist shinobis are being dispatched to Konoha to carry out further investigations with our headquarters in regards to the bloody event that occurred three weeks ago."

Sakura recalled how the halls of the hospital became tainted with blood. A gruesome sight it was.

"I didn't get the chance to fully explain the situation back then since the intel of the event wasn't too precise. But after the success of officially securing Konoha and the Mist's agreement in regards to the 'customs-free trade' with the Mizukage, it was affirmed that our dispatched leaf shinobi were ambushed on their way back to Konoha," Tsunade continued.

"However, the oddity is that only one came back infected with this substance out of everyone dispatched, despite the rest being wounded," Sakura murmured.

"No one managed to leave unscathed, but why inject only one person with this poison? This whole thing has to illustrate a sign of some sort. A warning perhaps?" Sakura continued.

"I noticed that as well," commented Tsunade. "Nevertheless, since we still haven't figured out the identity of the perpetrators, this is why a team from the Mist is being sent to Konoha to help deepen the investigation," Tsunade finished.

"I see," Sakura replied.

The room fell silent once again. With a blank face, Sakura stared into nothingness. Arms crossed, she sat on the guest couch with a large exhale.

Chin resting on her fists, Tsunade studied the girl.

A few minutes passed and both became lost in their own thoughts.

Deciding to change the subject in hopes to lighten up the solemn mood that threatened to dawn, Tsunade cleared her throat.

"Aside from all the...news, I realized that somebody's in a fine mood today." Tsunade smirked.

Sakura knew that even if she tried to hide it, Tsunade would still be able to read her like an open book.

"I bet you something _did_ happen," she grinned, "and this time my bet is not wrong."

Sakura's cheeks were tinted the slightest shade of pink. Looking down, she chuckled, rubbing her hand behind her head.

"That may or may not be true…?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, are you seriously trying to hide it?"

"No, actually."

"Good, good…well then?"

"See, I met someone rather interesting during my stay in Suna…"

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:** And our new character has finally made an appearance in the fic!

The color blue in all its shades happens to be our favorite color...soo there you have it...A blue-eyed Yato persona (he happens to be heavily inspired from an amazing anime called Noragami, whose protagonist goes by the name of Yato as well hehe :)Hope you enjoyed and chapter six shall hopefully be posted next week! xx

(Again, comments of any sort are highly recommended and appreciated...thank you and see you next time :p)

—MuSiNg SkeLeToNs—


	6. Chapter 6 - The Devoid of All Emotion

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Hey everyone! We sincerely apologize for the late post. We were really busy with life and all its stress and stuff. But we're back! We hope you like this chapter and constructive criticism is always appreciated as usual :)

**On a side note—and we say it again—whoever is against multi saku ships doesn't have to explicitly show their hate and throw out their disapproval with destructive criticism. We want to enjoy writing this fic as much as we want you to enjoy reading it. **

Xx — MuSiNg SkELeToNS

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**The Devoid of All Emotion**

* * *

He had always preferred solitude over the company of people. It was easier that way; connections gave rise to warmth and emotion.

_Emotion. _The word danced around his mind.

Emotions that gave way to bonds were a weakness. Or rather, they were _his_ weakness.

After the conclusion of the ninja war he had set out to atone for his sins, seeking to redeem all the tears that had filled to the brim, and long-since overflowed down the cheeks of those who cared for him.

He remembered how he had chosen the path of further loneliness, disregarding any form of companionship. How hatred had raged through his body like a poison, killing all profound emotion.

Believing that no one could ever understand him, he turned his back to the light, his heart stained with fiery darkness.

A child's innocent heart was supposed to be the purest of them all, sheltered from all dejecting falls. But he had been left alone, spurred on by hatred and abhorrence.

Drowning in an endless void, he let revenge consume him. Control him. Seize him in its claws, obliterating any form of bond that could have once been reformed.

But that wasn't the way the world worked. _Things don't always go the way one wanted them to—well, his way to be precise._

He remembered the morning sun's vivid rays in the Valley of the End—the place where he had set out with the intent of slaying the person who had always gotten in his path. The person who had always tried to _reconcile the violence in his heart_—his shattered bonds.

"_What I wanna do is get all shinobi to cooperate with each other! Including you, of course!" _Naruto's voice rang in his ears.

Those bittersweet moments really had changed him. They renewed his want to see the world again, discover its endless mysteries and treasures. But the biggest change he needed to face this time was using a different lens to gaze with.

'_I stepped onto a new path, away from the past, opening my eyes to the present to help me look through the window of a better future,' _he thought.

He wasn't sure if it was a clear path. The world still contained all kinds of pain.

It had been three to four years since he'd left the village. About a year and a half since somebody had actually tracked him down. It wasn't anyone from Konoha, urging him to come back, but someone looking to receive a nice amount of money and a pair of rare eyes. Bounty hunters. Those sick scum.

He had overheard that human trafficking had slightly increased over the years (in the shadows) even after this _peace_ had spread out.

His thoughts sometimes wandered off to an emerald eyed girl, lingering for a few moments.

He remembered how he ever so softly poked her shining pale forehead,—purple diamond seal decorating her face—a meaningful gesture that was only known to him and his brother.

The '_you really are...annoying',_ which had always been said so long ago, became a '_maybe next time, thank you_.' Strange.

It didn't feel so long ago that he uttered those words, guiltily rejecting the only girl to ever genuinely have feelings for him—who so ever warmly asked to accompany him on his journey. But In the end, it was a journey to atone for his sins—his rebirth— to rediscover the world and observe it through a new lens. She had nothing to do with his monstrous past and irrational decisions, so why have her carry the same burden as him.

He never understood what spurred him on to say those words to her; emotions had always been a mystery to him. They confused him to no end. He couldn't even get a small grasp of what she made him feel.

She really had changed though, working hard and earning the acknowledgement and respect she deserved.

_The clingy and annoying kunoichi he once knew became the stranger he had never met. _

His mind unconsciously lingered over that girl during his journey...maybe he did feel alone. But of course his ego would never admit it.

After passing through the Rice country, he finally reached the borders of the Fire country. It was just a few miles away…

_The place of his childhood_

_The place where the Uchiha clan was exterminated_

_The place where team seven was formed_

_The place of all his severed bonds_

_The place that caused the death of Itachi_

_The place that brought him only pain and suffering_

But regardless, _it was the place he once called __**home**_.

_**Konoha.**_

* * *

She was annoyed as hell. Beyond furious even. The second she laid a foot into the hospital after the excruciating mission, Sakura found her office in complete and utter chaos.

She was gone for _fourteen days. "_TWO FREAKING WEEKS!" she scream-whispered.

The room was overflowing with loosened documents and sheets. Piles and piles of stacked paper were legitimately spread in every corner.

Hell, she couldn't even see her own office floor!

'_I'm so going to beat the crap out of all those nurses slacking off and dumping all the workload on me,' _she thought as she cracked her knuckles.

"Stupid people and stupid hospital, TCH!"

Sakura spent her entire morning rearranging the room and putting the jungle back in order.

At around noon or so, she had three quarters of work load rearranged and neatly stored on her shelves. She wondered how the wood hadn't cracked from the excess weight yet.

There were some _loose papers _here and there but they weren't much to _worry_ about.

Her once still door knob suddenly twisted and none other than the famous Naruto Uzumaki barged in. Not noticing those damned loose papers on the floor, his quick entry made him lose momentum, and he slipped, falling backwards—knocking two whole stacks of arranged papers while he was at it.

With a pleading grin the blonde slowly raised his head, rubbing at his neck.

The vein on Sakura's forehead wasn't only throbbing, she felt like it was about to explode at any moment. Grinding her teeth, she stomped towards the blonde who was still on the floor. Towering over him, her flaming jade eyes ticked.

He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the inevitable outburst, but it never came.

The moment he looked back up at her, all he saw was the fist closing in on his face as it sent him flying to tomorrow, out the window.

"NARUTO YOU IDIOT!" screamed the raging pinkette. Her voice bellowed in fury.

The poor blonde found himself plastered onto a brick wall thirty meters away from her office.

What insane strength. Hell, it probably even surpassed Tsunade's by now.

He could barely feel his back as he flopped onto the floor. By the time he dragged himself to her office, she had already neatly rearranged the destroyed piles and was now smiling like nothing had even happened.

_Tsk, the nerve of that girl, _he thought.

With a pouting face, he sat on her desk, took off his shirt and turned his back to her, an array of blue and red spread across the taut skin.

Sakura walked towards the wounded Uzumaki. With a wide grin spread across her features, she slapped his back with a burst of laughter.

"That was some hit you got there Naruto," she chuckled as she held him in place, keeping him from falling.

Green chakra made its way to her hands as she directed them towards his back.

She hummed some tunes here and there, but it was relatively quiet.

"You won't believe what I was told this morning."

"Mmm what now?"

"He's coming home, just a couple of days and he'll be back," Naruto said.

Sakura stopped humming. She furrowed her brows.

"Who is?"

"Who else? The teme. He's coming back," he continued. "Lady Tsunade requested his urgent presence regarding an important issue."

Sakura's mind went blank.

Surprisingly, her raging inner self had remained calm and collected.

'_Ok so what?'_

'_Haven't you thought about this for so long? Prepared for it? You're strong, intelligent, and beautiful. We shouldn't let anyone shatter all that hard work in mere damned seconds.' _

'_Besides, isn't there somebody else already trying to make their way through your concrete walls…?' _

'_You promised Lady Tsunade. Heck you even promised yourself. Get your shit together already. We're done being the wallowing desperate kid drowning in an empty ocean.' _

The voice echoing in her ears slowly faded away, but Sakura didn't snap back to reality.

It's true, she had to be strong—she couldn't swim blindfolded with open arms in empty waters anymore.

With determination glistening in her eyes, she mustered up her confidence. She was ready.

'_Face him not as a lover, but instead…_

_a __**friend.**__'_

"Sakura?" Naruto's voice rang in her ears.

She snapped out of her internal daze and blinked at the blonde. She couldn't show him she was affected.

Rubbing the back of her head and giving him the closest genuine smile she could muster, she quickly replied with "I'm fine Naruto. Just thinking about how much I have to catch up in the hospital and stuff. It's a very busy workplace and I'm drowning with surgeries, reports, and documents."

She knew he didn't buy it.

"...But it's a surprise you know, him suddenly coming. I guess I was caught a little off-guard that's it."

Another fake smile formed across her lips.

"Aren't you...happy that he's back? Our best friend Sakura. _Our teammate_." he pushed.

Sakura's brows furrowed. " He's _your _best friend Naruto. Not mine. He never was—and never will be" She muttered.

Silence echoed across the room.

Naruto frowned. "Don't say that. Whaddaya mean only my—"

Sakura suddenly felt herself losing her cool. She didn't have the energy nor time to overthink it anymore.

Trying to think of any excuse to make Naruto leave, she interrupted him with random complaints.

"—Look I'm really busy today and I'm sure you out of all people know how much work I have on my hands. Coming back from this mission threw me way behind schedule and you already know that the nurses in this stupid institution barely work their jobs. All the hospital's weight is caving in on me at the moment. So I really need to focus myself and get to work now," she babbled, trying to control her breath.

Naruto gave her a solemn gaze. His eyes were…sorrowful.

Sighing, he leaned off her desk and walked out of her office, closing the door behind him.

After Naruto had left the room, Sakura let out a large breath she didn't know she was holding.

She felt her face heating up. Blocking the tears threatening to spill, she clutched her hair and let out a muffled scream.

She leaned against her door and closed her eyes, slowly sliding onto the floor—face between her palms. Her mind was racing. She really needed a break.

Just when she was finally, officially getting over the Uchiha, he just had to miraculously pop out of nowhere to ruin everything.

It took her a few minutes to compose herself; straightening the hem of her hospital gown, fixing her hair, and letting out a large exhale. With a poker face, she walked out of her office and tended to her duties for the day.

* * *

After finally finishing her hospital rounds, Sakura walked back to her gloomy office and dumped her heavy clipboard on the messy wooden desk.

Her mind was bombarding her with thoughts. She swiped the phone on her desk and made a call. Eyes burning and fatigued, she wasn't feeling too well.

"Can you meet me in my apartment in 15…?"

"—Yeah it's urgent."

"—Who doesn't know by now?"

"—I'll see you."

After placing the phone back in place and rearranging her stuff, Sakura turned off the lights and closed the door with a soft click.

It was 11 pm.

"After all this time I—" Sakura was at a loss for words. An empty sake bottle sat disregarded on the wooden tiles by her side. Her head was throbbing.

The floor was cold.

Clutching her chest, she felt her breath getting heavier.

"—I don't know what I feel anymore. I don't know how I'm feeling." Her face heated up.

"Heck, I don't even know why he's still stirring a small part of me. I hate it."

The tipsy blonde sitting right across her gave her a solemn look. With her elbow bent on the couch, she placed her face in her palm and sighed.

"I know I might have this fresh start with Yato, but I feel like Sasuke actually physically coming now practically ruins all the work I went through to get rid of my feelings for him."

Eyes and throat burning, she placed her now crossed arms on bent knees.

"I'm tired of being so attached Ino...so vulnerable amidst his presence..."

"So…" Sakura stopped for a moment. She despised the next thought that came to her.

Ino stared directly at Sakura, her eyes speaking for themselves—urging Sakura to continue.

In a deep breath and half broken tone: "So…_**weak.**__"_

"I'm tired of being weak for him, Ino," Sakura said in a reluctant, distasteful tone. She harshly rubbed the dark circles under her eyes.

"It's not like we were ever meant for each other. I was deluded to think we stood a chance."

"Actually..." Sakura continued, "I was deluded to think that _**I**_ stood a chance."

Ino shook her head.

"It's you who's making the decisions Sakura. The least you can do is abide by them. Of course I'll support you along the way but we have to find a solution to this. You have to face reality, after all," Ino stated.

The blonde sat up straight and tied her loose, long hair.

"You have to confront Sasuke once and for all and solve this awkwardness between you two."

"—There's no way I'd do that. I have nothing to say to him anyway," Sakura cut in.

"—or I will," Ino replied.

"Oh and you sure do have a shit ton of things you're saying to me," Ino went on with a cold tone. "Try saying them to _him_ for a change." Sakura looked reluctant, and so Ino pressed on.

"This problem won't ever be solved until you talk to him Sakura. It's for the better. Just hear out what he has to say..."

"What if I don't want to? He'd probably make up some short, random excuses or not even bother to say anything at all. We all know Sasuke, he's practically a walking statue. I wouldn't be surprised if _he still is devoid of all emotions_."

After a full night of arguing, raised voices, tears and consolement, both kunoichis gave in to sleep's irresistible caliginous grasp.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

And there you have it! The dark knight finally made an appearance in the fic! Stick around to see what happens when he finally arrives to Konoha ;) Comments and likes are highly appreciated! Show some support to keep us encouraged to write :)


	7. Chapter 7- The Incredulous Dark Knight

**AUTHORS NOTE:** Heyyyyyy guyssss! Sorry this took so long to publish :( To be fully honest we haven't been feeling the same enthusiasm as we did in the beginning of this fic, and writer's block really is an annoying thing...and of course life has its own set of worries and stuff. Anyway, here's the new chapter...although I'm personally not too fond of it, [the writer] there you have it! Constructive criticism and encouragement would really be appreciated :) Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7 **

**The Incredulous Dark Knight**

* * *

It was noon.

After walking through the land of fire for about four days, Sasuke marveled at the gates of Konoha as they finally were within his sight. The exact same, consistent color preserved all these years brought back so many memories, both the good and the bad.

Reaching the gates, at last, he came to a halt.

The skies were quickly fading into shades of blacks and blues.

With all his glory stood Naruto Uzumaki, that ever-so elusive grin plastered right onto his face.

The petite pinkette standing right beside him seemed off. With dull jade eyes trained into the distance, a nonchalant expression spread across her pale features. It looked like she was dragged there.

"TEMEEE! YOU'RE BACKKK!" Naruto beamed with joy. "I can't wait to spar and kick your butt!" he laughed.

"Hn," Sasuke replied.

"Welcome home, Sasuke," she stated in a cold tone.

'She has a blank face. She even dropped the "kun" suffix', he thought.

He hadn't even realized that he'd been so used to her referring to him as 'Sasuke-kun'.

Nevertheless, Sasuke kept his cool, emotionless demeanor, even though the way she addressed him did deserve a raise of an eyebrow.

"It's been a while…" she finished.

"Aa," he replied, inwardly intrigued.

As Naruto bombarded him with questions and complaints, he noticed an uninterested Sakura standing in the background, seeming to either stare into nothingness or focus on something else entirely. He wasn't sure.

He thought of calling her name to perhaps start a conversation for once (in a blue moon), but he just needed the right moment.

After a few minutes of Naruto's endless chattering, Sasuke finally found an opening.

"Saku-"

"Sakuraa!" waving a hand, a tall figure suddenly called out from behind and made their way towards her.

After turning in the direction of the call, the dulled jade eyes brightened. She ran towards the man, enveloping him in a big bear hug. He nonchalantly swept her off her feet and twirled her around once before putting her back down and giving her a quick, sly peck on the cheek—too quick to even catch. All while doing so, he casted Sasuke a mere side glance of disregard.

This tiny scene surely didn't slip through the sharingan wielder's exceptional vision. That side glance wasn't too pretty.

'Intriguing,' he thought.

While the duo were still at a distance from them, Sasuke turned towards Naruto and asked: "Who's this?"

Naruto, who also seemed confused for a moment, shook his head and turned back to Sasuke.

And after a smile slowly formed across his cheeks: "Oh no one," Naruto replied. "Just Sakura-chan's new boyfriend," he nonchalantly said, but the laughter threatening to split his face open told the Uchiha that Naruto was all too pleased and waiting for a reaction.

Sasuke kept his calm, collected poker face, displaying no sign of emotion whatsoever; he was never one to give Naruto the satisfaction.

"Hn," he said.

Naruto chuckled, eyes closed happily, "just kidding...but they did become very close. He's a fun guy to be around actually, it's a surprise to find him here though...as a matter of fact, I wonder what brought him all the way to Konoha…" Naruto mumbled.

He opened an eye to peek at Sasuke, and was clearly delighted to see the tiniest of frowns marred his usual poker face.

All too giddy, he continued, "they met in Sunagakure and sort of established this 'connection', you see. I think I'll go ask him what he's doing here though."

"Aa," Sasuke replied, incredulous.

He stole a quick glance in Sakura's direction, and noticed some redness tinting her cheeks. Just before she turned around, he shifted his peripheral vision back towards Naruto.

"What the hell are you doing here?" beamed Sakura. She literally couldn't believe her eyes.

Before Yato opened his mouth to speak: "—Ohhh I remember," she started. "Tsunade mentioned something about a group of mist shinobi who were going to be dispatched to Konoha..." Sakura chuckled.

"Yep, that's exactly what I'm here for," Yato smiled. "When there was an opening I directly went for it; I thought I would inevitably run into you during my stay here." His eyes twinkled.

After conversing for a couple of minutes, Sakura had totally forgotten about Sasuke and Naruto, who were a few meters away.

Seeming confident and satisfied, she started walking back in their direction with the young man tailing right behind her.

"Hey there wassupp dude. It's a surprise to see you here," Naruto greeted him with a casual pat on the back.

"All's good," he grinned back.

Turning to Sasuke, he gave a cheery introduction. "Hi!"

Sasuke didn't even bother to reply.

"Cold as ever I see," Sakura muttered, but the smile plastered on her face erased any semblance of the exasperation that spilled out of her voice.

"This is Yato, he's from the Mist," she continued.

"Anyone can see that from his hitae-ate," Sasuke commented.

Naruto winced, Yato's eyebrows rose, and Sakura gritted her teeth. "I see," she managed to spit out through a clenched, tense smile.

"We ran into each other during our stay in Sunagakure," Yato continued.

"Hn. Did I ask to know?" Sasuke retorted.

Yato opened his mouth to reply but refrained from doing so.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Heyyy what's with the rising tension here peeps," Naruto calmly intercepted.

"You already think you know all about her?" Sasuke muttered in a low tone.

Everyone fell quiet. Yato's eyes gleamed. Sasuke did not like the aura radiating off of that man.

"And what is that supposed to mean? Sasuke, what exactly are you implying?" Sakura pushed.

Yato grimaced and rubbed at his neck.

Sasuke studied Yato closely… he couldn't help but notice something off and peculiar about him.

Mesmerizing blue glanced at him.

Those eyes.

They were cold. Dangerous.

Icy blue, the kind of gaze that would stare you down before delivering the fatal blow...eyes that would relentlessly kill without sparing you a second thought.

He reckoned he'd seen eyes like these before, but they were on different people.

Before Sasuke had the chance to reply, dark cloth obstructed his view, and his scrutiny was cut short by a Leaf shinobi he had never seen.

'Well that's no surprise, you've been gone for years.'

"Haruno-sama, an emergency requires your presence at the hospital."

"Yato-san, your comrades as well as anbu shinobi are waiting for you in the center of the town by the large tree," and with a poof, the shinobi disappeared.

"Well, orders are orders..." She sighed.

"Looks like I've got to leave as well," Yato said.

"Bye Naruto...see you tonight."

"Yeah." A pause.

Cold emeralds cast a side glance at the Uchiha. "Sasuke," she stated.

Before disappearing, Sakura turned back and glanced at Naruto. "Oh and since it's the spring party don't you forget to bring the infamous cherry-blossom-flavored wine."

"Hahaha sure don't you worry," he rubbed his hair.

And with a snap, both shinobi were out of sight.

Silence.

"How about we get ramen together at Ichiraku?" Naruto smiled warmly, breaking the silence. "There's a lot to talk about, Sasuke."

Sasuke hesitated, but gave in.

"Aa," he agreed.

"It's been way too long," Naruto added on pointedly.

Besides, in the back of his mind he had deemed it necessary to find out more about this 'Yato' persona.

'Sunagakure hmm,' he thought.

As they walked, Sasuke let his mind wander.

Lost in his own head whilst chasing fleeting memories, it took Sasuke more than a few moments to notice Naruto staring at him expectantly. Waiting for him to start the conversation, strangely enough. With a tint of guilt for his easy distraction, Sasuke acted upon the silent invitation.

"Naruto, what do you think of him?" He implored, breaking the silence.

"Who?"

"The mist shinobi."

"Ohh, you mean Yato-san?"

Sasuke frowned. "What's with the '-san'?"

Naruto's brows furrowed in response. "What do you mean?"

"Tch," Sasuke sighed. 'Obtuse as always, I see.'

"You don't doubt anything, do you."

"Hey! Why should I have any doubts in the first place?!" Naruto protested. And then with a gleam in his eye and a creeping grin: " sounds to me like someone's just jeaaalouuusss, hehe."

His charcoal eye glared.

"Teme! You've been gone forever! And now finally you've come back, and I'm so so glad, Sasuke, to have my best friend back. But maybe that's not enough. You're back, now right in front of me, and yet it doesn't really feel like you are here." His eyebrows furrowed, Sasuke stared at the blonde, surprised by his outburst, but kept quiet.

Sensing a distinct aroma that was all too familiar, the nostalgia hit him. They were finally there.

Ichiraku.

He knew he couldn't stay too long in the ramen shop, catching up with Naruto.

He had to go to the hokage to inquire about the things nagging at his chest.

But for now he would sit down and eat with his dear friend.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And chapter 7 is finally over. Whew. The knight of darkness, Uchiha Sasuke, seems to be very disapproving of this Yato persona ;)

There's a lot that's going to go down in the next chapters so hope you'll stick around! We aren't really sure when the next chapter will be up but let's hope soon! Maybe monthly updates would be more practical than weekly since we'd actually have more time to delve into each chapter separately rather than end up crammed with only one week to end up writing something that isn't good. See you next time and till the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8 - The Dynamite Gal

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** HEYYY GUYSSS! Yes yes we know that we haven't posted in forever so that's why chapter 8 is a bit longer than usual! Hope you enjoy, and feedback is highly appreciated! Thank you all, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Starting 2020 with a new chapter lets go!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**The Dynamite Gal**

* * *

"Tell me what you know about the rising tensions in the mist."

"A bit too demanding, aren't we, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"I didn't come here because I felt like it. I came here upon you and Naruto's incessant requests," he calmly but firmly stated.

Honey eyes narrowed.

"That is true, in the end you are of very high value and standing to this village—a prized asset to the village elders," Tsunade began.

"Many troublesome events have been on the rise lately, and imploring about the complications dawning upon the ninja world has been personally requested by me to you," she continued.

"There's this drug—we haven't given it a name or classified it yet but it's a seriously dangerous substance that the underground black market lords have been recently toying with. It all began in the mist."

"Shinobi are dying of infection, and a proper antidote still hasn't been formulated to counter its drastic negative effects. Gaara, if you recall the scroll I sent you, had fallen ill under the merciless claws of this drug," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Investigations are still being done to discover the perpetrators and how this incident has come to occur. Nothing has been found yet. The masterminds are not your common villains. It is a high possibility that the drug also seemingly erases one's memory because the Kazekage seems to have no recollection whatsoever of what had happened to him."

Sasuke crossed his arms.

"Despite the substance being created by the hands of highly skilled craftsmen, Sakura was able to tend to him and fully stabilize the Kazekage, ejecting all the poison that was gnawing at his body."

"Her wide range of medical expertise and experience enabled her to save his life, even if she did not form an antidote yet. Other drastic medical means—if handled correctly—might sometimes work if the patient's willpower is strong enough."

Tsunade then raised her index finger and motioned it towards her glowing diamond seal, emphasizing her point.

"Besides," she began, "her chakra reserves were of immense aid in Gaara's healing process. Establishing the Hundred Healings and summoning Katsuyu from the deepest depths of the forest requires an immense amount of precision, chakra control, and talent. Nobody in this village has reached the medical lengths Sakura has attained." A grin threatened to spill on Tsunade's face. She knew she was pushing some buttons.

Tsunade watched the still expression of the Uchiha. To the untrained eye, it seemed as if he was unaffected by her words.

However, Tsunade knew better—the sudden widening of his eyes that only lasted for a fraction of a second indicated otherwise. It was a surprise; he seemed intrigued.

Internally smiling, she pushed.

"Nevertheless, even if these _insignificant _details might be irksome to you, it is also important to note that in the years you were gone to atone for your sins and develop your visual prowess, your teammates have continued to increasingly progress and flourish."

The Uchiha had a blank face. But on the inside, he knew that the Sakura and Naruto he once knew had disappeared. It made him a bit uncomfortable.

"That being said, I will henceforth be assigning you on an S-ranked mission to get to the bottom of this rabbit hole—one of the main reasons you were summoned to Konoha anyway."

Sasuke thought for a while.

"If you claim that no common antidote can counter the effect of this drug then it should have been surely formulated by the infusion of black magic or a forbidden jutsu of some sort."

Tsunade's eyes were now fully focused on him. Her fingers that were once tapping the wooden desk stilled.

It was an intriguing fact to Tsunade for Sasuke to have an idea of such forbidden jutsus and practices. But then again it wasn't too much of a surprise—he was Orochimaru's pupil for a long time after all.

After weighing his words, she began, "what you claim is a very high possibility."

"But tell me, Uchiha Sasuke, what do you happen to know in regards to this _black magic _you are so confidently referring to hmm?"

"During my journey across the lands, I happened to stumble upon a couple of interesting, eye-opening things…"

Staring at her watch, she appeared to be 10 minutes early. It was a long day at the hospital. She continued making her way up the spiraling staircase leading to the hokage's office. She stopped by a window and peered outside.

With the setting sun came a sky of fire, the red orb of light slowly sank beneath the horizon, and threads of yellow lingered in the sky, mingling with the cotton candy clouds, dyeing the heavens orange.

"8:00 pm. I'm a bit early today," Sakura mumbled to herself.

It was the battle cry to the gathering night, the darkness illustrating the starlight all the more clearly.

She smiled to herself. It was a serene sight indeed.

'_Tsunade wouldn't mind anyway, we might even get to have a small chat before everyone else arrives,' _she thought.

Humming a pleasant tune, she stood in front of two looming brown doors.

After quickly knocking thrice in a calculated rhythm (a sequence unique to both Tsunade and her), she opened the door.

Sakura's eyes widened. The hokage was not alone.

With his back turned towards her, a man wearing a long black cloak stood right before the hokage. It was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

Honey-brown eyes shifted their gaze towards her.

With his back still turned to her, he released a small '_ tch' _sound, indicating that he was interrupted mid-sentence some important exchange.

'_It seems like they were engaged in some significant issues...strange' _. It was a surprise to her. Of all places Sakura had never expected him to be there before the briefing started.

' _And just what were they talking about?' _she wondered.

With doors still open, Naruto and Yato appeared right next to her moments later, and the meeting finally began.

"First of all, welcome back Uchiha Sasuke. It's been a while since you bothered to spare Konoha a visit."

"Hn."

"I'm sure you all have heard of the disappearances happening in other villages lately," Tsunade began."It surely isn't a good sign."

She continued, "I've spoken to Sasuke prior to this meeting; one of the topics we discussed had to do with the new security measures Konoha will be taking as precautions."

"I need you to watch out for any irregularities from now on. Unexplained disappearances have already broken out in the Mist and Sand and they're making their way towards Konoha. I've already warned the other shinobi and anbu about the issue and we're subtly tightening security. Shops will now have a curfew to follow and that is 12am at the latest–"

"WHAT?! So no more late-night snacking at Ichiraku's?!" Naruto hastily interrupted.

"What about the pubs and bars?" Sasuke calmly remarked.

"Lady Tsunade what the hell how will I even survive without my ramenn–"

"Shut up Naruto," Tsunade deadpanned.

"Anyway...regarding the bars, I've decided that they will be the _only _exception. People do have the right to drink their sorrows away, it's the least we can give them. However, any person who enters and exists will be identified on our system," she replied as she patted the large rectangular device in front of her.

"That way we can keep track of whoever is there, and _erase _any _unexpected guests _who decide to show up for the night—if you know what I mean."

Naruto cleared his throat.

"Anbu will be patrolling the village rooftops starting an hour prior to curfew, eyes open for anything peculiar looking. So don't be alarmed if you stumble upon them in your _nightly whereabouts, _" replied Tsunade in a harsh tone.

Laying back in her seat with folded arms, she continued, "this meeting is just a warning to keep your eyes open and watch your back. If you stumble upon anything peculiar do not act irrationally. Report directly to my office and backup will be dispatched."

"We still have to get to the bottom of this first," commented Naruto. "Outside the village ya know, reach the enemy before it reaches you dattebayo!"

"Naruto's right, we should start our investigation in the Mist—it being the starting place of the disappearances," stated Sakura.

"Yato would be of tremendous help since it's his home anyway," she added.

She cast a small side glance towards the Uchiha standing to her far right. The mass of glistening charcoal hair covered his Rinnegan, hiding it from plain sight. This left one remaining midnight orb in her peripheral vision, which unexpectedly shifted in her direction within a fraction of a second.

She was startled at the sudden eye contact. He had an intense gaze, one that deceivingly displayed very strong forms of emotion—a gaze that she unfortunately couldn't discern due to its endless pool of redolent darkness, ever so estranged.

She was always heavily intrigued.

Innocent emeralds blinked in his direction. It was a gaze of relentless but hesitant curiosity.

'_Just what were her eyes trying to unravel?' _

The hesitancy acted as a wall, a facade to hide the revolting flame laying underneath. It annoyed him.

"—that is a possibility, but for now, let us focus on Konoha; we must make sure things are under control," Tsunade asserted.

"The mission will be scheduled sometime in the coming two weeks, so be prepared. You are dismissed," she finished.

As Naruto and Sasuke took their leave, charcoal eyes quickly shifted in Sakura's direction. She was staring right back at him with that same intriguing gaze. Sasuke was mildly annoyed.

His thoughts were interrupted by a casual pat on the back.

"How about we go to the training grounds," asked Naruto.

Now that was a good idea—coming from Naruto, that is.

"Aa," Sasuke calmly replied. "Let's go."

He needed to release some steam—get his mind off her and that Mist man for a bit.

Sakura tugged on Yato's vest, stopping him from turning towards the door.

"Lady Tsunade…do you have any information beyond what you just briefed us on?"

"Has anything been happening in the village that I happen to not know about?"

For a while, Tsunade gave Sakura a calculating, skeptical look.

"There's this—" she stopped. Tsunade thought better than to add onto the girl's worries.

The silence was unnerving. But Sakura's eyes pushed her for more.

Finally addressing the elephant in the room, Tsunade grudgingly continued, "there's a cafe that's been around for a very short while. Though it claims to be old and known, it actually opened a few months ago."

"And what are you implying?" pushed Sakura.

Honey-brown eyes stared with skepticism and reluctance.

"Well, it claims to offer teenage girls and boys—who aren't well off—jobs so that they can support their families…" A pause.

"It has a rather interesting motive...however, its incentives really do raise a large question mark..."

Tsunade replied.

"I believe you understand what I actually mean by these _jobs _...Sakura. Neither your casual barista nor your waiter jobs."

'_It is jobs like these that are usually the root cause for such unexplained disappearances,' _Tsunade mentally elaborated.

"In times of war people had no time for such nonsense—even if they did, it wasn't too drastic," Tsunade sighed. "However, with the newly spreading peace–"

"It's only natural for such unrighteous acts to spread. People now have more spare time on their dirty bloody hands," intercepted Sakura, her inner self in rage.

"We have to find them... they're doing god knows what to these teens and we're just standing here?"

Sakura angrily turned, almost reaching the door before Yato's strong grasp yanked her back in place.

"Yato let go I–"

"No Sakura." Yato's cool eyes blazed.

"That's exactly why I was reluctant about telling you Sakura." Tsunade slammed her hand on the wooden desk, which cracked in protest.

"It's not as simple as you think it is– "

"I _know _it's not– "

"Are you thinking rationally now? No you're not. You can't haphazardly and blindly leave. I certainly did not expect _that _extreme of a reaction, and especially not from you." Tsunade's forehead throbbed.

"With no plan whatsoever who knows what they are and what they might do to you."

"I'm sure I can–"

"It's not about whether you're strong enough or not. We don't have enough intel for you to blindly rush into the matter. You could easily get killed!" Tsunade replied as her voice grew in pitch. "Think of others for once!"

"But I am thinking of others!" Sakura retorted.

She continued, "I'm thinking of these innocent defenseless girls and boys—"

"I meant, think of the others who care about YOU and YOUR WELLBEING. You have to learn how to put yourself before others when it comes to safety. Being blindly selfless can easily get you killed. As a medic nin, this should be your mantra!"

Sakura grew silent.

"What benefit will you do for the victims _or _for yourself if you get killed?" Tsunade pushed.

"We don't even know if they're being detained there or taken to who knows where. So all I ask of you is to please trust in me and have patience."

"Patience is a virtue after all," added Yato, lightly cutting through the rising tension.

"It's like walking into a lion's den blindfolded goddammit," muttered Tsunade.

"So many things are happening at once," she muttered.

Sakura's inner self berated her for acting out.

"You're right shishou, I don't know what got over me."

The anger in Tsunade's posture seeped into worry.

"So…what do you have in mind regarding this issue Hokage-sama?" implored Yato in a calm demeanor.

"My position remains as it was at the start of this meeting. Keep watch for now. When the exact coordinates of the store are located and checked, I will decide on who goes there."

"Thank you Hokage sama," Yato said.

Sakura huffed.

Tsunade shook her head.

With a quick glance at a watch, Yato turned towards the doors, "I've got to be somewhere at the moment, but I'll catch up with you at the _revelry _later... _Sakura _." A pause.

"You're coming right?" Yato calmly asserted. The smoothness of his voice as he uttered her name gave Sakura goosebumps. It came out so freely, a silky touch to it. She felt like an open book. It's like he knew how and when to address her—he made her feel...dare she say it, _wanted._

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and calmly nodded, fluttering her eyelashes while doing so—an attempt to cool down her heated face.

Damn. She hated how her body always overreacted when it came to emotions.

After giving her a wink, he disappeared in a snap.

The silence was restored once again in the room.

After the passing of a couple minutes and overthinking about Yato, Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and began:

"So…"

Honey eyes looked back at her, inquiring for more.

It's like Tsunade just KNEW what Sakura was going through. Let alone the fact that her shishou didn't ever bother to interrupt her thoughts, Sakura knew she was going to get a shit ton of questions.

"Hold that thought," Tsunade intercepted with a smirk. "How are things with that Yato guy hmm?"

' _Well that was a weak attempt to change the subject...Yeesh it's like she read my mind.' _She inwardly cowered.

"You seem to have caught his eye quite intensely," she laughed.

Sakura was completely baffled.

"I-um good, good. Taking it slow though—I guess this _change _is just what I need in my life at the moment." She stared at the last shade of light just above the horizon through the window behind her shishou.

"That's...good to hear. The Uchiha is unnerving anyway," Tsunade replied.

A grin slowly formed across Tsunade's lips

"So...have you two _explored _each other yet?"

Sakura's eyes widened in complete shock, a tint of red spreading across her cheeks.

"Shishou! What the hell? He literally just arrived!" Sakura squeaked.

She folded her arms and turned her head to the side, trying to cover her baffled expression.

"No," she stated in an embarrassed tone.

"Ah. Not even a kiss?" Tsunade replied.

The room grew silent. Sakura couldn't believe what her former teacher was saying. Question marks were raised.

Realization finally dawning upon her, Sakura gasped.

"You planned for this didn't you!" Saukra accusingly pointed a finger at her shishou.

"Planned for what?"

"For him to come to Konoha around the same time Sasuke would," she folded her arms and pouted, trying to stop her cheeks from burning.

"Of course," Sakura said with assertiveness. "This was some test to see how I'd react. This is one of your little games and I just know it," her voice echoed across the room. No response.

"Well…" Sakura's voice increased in pitch, "I'm not some dummy you can experiment on shishou…I have feelings as well. Hmph!"

A large grin formed across Tsunade's face, extreme laughter following suit.

"It's not funny!" Sakura pushed.

After trying to recollect herself, Tsunade wiped the tears from her eyes and replied.

"Trust me honey if I really wanted to even attempt to get you together with someone I would have done it a long time ago. Hell I would have done it right after Sasuke left to atone for his sins. It's about time you changed your direction in regards to boys anyway."

"Planned it you say...what is this nonsense, you sure do have quite the imagination Sakura, " Tsunade mumbled while chuckling.

"Besides, maybe this coincidence wasn't so much of a coincidence after all. Maybe it was a sign. A sign from the universe or something like that," Tsunade began, hand gesticulating.

"A sign of what now?" Sakura intercepted.

Tsunade shook her head.

"To show Sasuke that I'm better off without him?"

"Exactly. Jeez you really are dense. No wonder you're still single," Tsunade muttered.

"But what if I don't want to show Sasuke that. Do you know how hard it was to fully get over him? He should at least know as much."

A small part of her chest wavered, skeptical about this decision, but she blocked it nevertheless.

"Sakura, you should stop being afraid to give other people a chance. Look at you, you're beautiful and you don't need anything from anyone. So stop being caught up with the past and look onward for once. The future is full of mysteries that no one holds. Seize every new moment that comes your way," Tsunade said.

Even if she tried to deny it, Sakura knew her mentor was right. Sure she wasn't good at gambling but she did give proper life lessons once in a while. Sakura smiled.

"You're right, I'm overthinking too much and I should give myself a break. I should open up to new experiences," she replied.

"That's more like it," Tsunade nodded.

Trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, Sakura decided to subtly change the subject; it was getting a bit too awkward.

"Speaking of the Uchiha though, and just what were you two conversing about earlier hmm…?" Green eyes flashed with curiosity.

A small smirk made its way onto Tsunade's lips. "And why the sudden curiosity in regards to what the _unbearable _Uchiha had to say today hmm...?"

"I–I just," Sakura found herself at a loss for words.

It was true that her undying curiosity was eating away at her, but she could have at least sounded more subtle about it. In the end, she shouldn't even spare him one thought; she shouldn't care about what he does and doesn't do anymore...

'_Arghh…' _her internal self cringed and gave itself a good smack to the forehead.

"Oh Tsunade-sama, spare me some of your drama for later and just forget about it,"

Sakura quickly retorted, nose scrunched up in distaste.

"Hmph."

With folded arms and a slightly embarrassed look, Sakura closed her eyes, turning her head to the side and quickly muttering, "now what did you say was the name of that ghastly cafe again?"

With a silent smirk, he stood up. Now that was some news to an activated-sharingan weilder, who happened to be sitting on the roof of the hokage tower. Naruto was still busy stretching and warming up with Sasuke's clone. As he prepared himself to teleport to training grounds to prepare for a spar, he lightly mumbled, _'Cafe 66 hmm?'_

* * *

It was 11pm. The party was scheduled to start in an hour.

She never went for anything seductive, to say the least.

But this dress stood out big time.

It was a gift from her mother a few years back, when she was much shorter than she was now.

The dress was a shiny, silky pearly-white and pretty revealing, especially in comparison to her usual standards. She preferred simple and practical clothes really, because that's what she had gotten used to: simplicity.

She had nothing against the white dress, but with the amount of skin revealed and the thinness of the material, well, it was suffice to say that it wasn't your ordinary innocent type of dress. Having two thin spaghetti straps and a long V-neck reaching just below her cleavage, the dress stretched all the way to her mid thigh, a bit above that even. She hadn't remembered it being this short, but it was, again, probably due to the increase in her height over the years. She hadn't even remembered it being this open, but for the most part, most of her porcelain chest was exposed. Needless to say, it was a good thing that she didn't really have large breasts since the only exposed part of her upper body was her flat pale skin, that is, the large gap between both her tiny boobs.

However, she couldn't deny that the dress's fit was still pretty good–perfect even.

It smoothly traced her torso and outlined her mildly curvy hips, decorating her petite form. Her hips weren't very wide and dangerously sexy like Ino, but they weren't non-existent either. They were just the right size for a man to lose his mind the second he laid eyes on them.

She wouldn't have even looked in the dress's direction or even considered it an option if Ino-pig hadn't happened to point it out and taunt her about it two days ago.

The memory of the moment was still fresh in her mind:

"I cannot believe my eyes...SAKURA HARUNO my friends, SAKURA the overworking trainwreck, my people, owns a dress like THAT and I wasn't informed of such a miracle?! Hallelujah!"

"Now don't you think that's a bit of an overstatement you pig–"

Ino squealed as she started jumping up and down, pulling Sakura into a tight and clumsy embrace. With a wide grin on her face, she looked like a complete idiot.

"There's no way I'm wearing_ that atrocity _to any party," muttered Sakura.

"Sakura for heaven's sake how the hell do you expect any guy to even spare a glance in your direction if you don't spice things up just a little bit."

"That is so not true! Besides it's what's on the inside that matters," Sakura impetuously replied.

"Aw give me a break with your corny remarks forehead! The only way you'd be noticed is if you find a balance between both the brains and the looks, genius!" responded Ino.

"You better be wearing that dress to the spring party in two days. I won't be taking no for an answer billboard-brow."

"Oh Ino cut me some slack, I'm sure I have more _appropriate _options."

Sakura surprisingly pondered the idea for a bit, but decided it was too much of a rapid move at the time and didn't want to overthink it.

_Butttt here she was now _, hypocritically standing—white dress on—in front of her long closet mirror, marveling at how the dress beautifully amplified her femininity.

"_It's about time you slayed those rocking hips girl. They're dangerous." _Ino's voice rang in her ears.

"Like what Tsunade said, it wouldn't hurt to experiment with new things for a change," her inner self slowly gained confidence.

* * *

He had just finished a very heavy sparring session with Naruto, where both of them obviously did not leave unscathed. While they lay down on the floor panting heavily, Naruto had pestered him to accompany him to the party, claiming that they would have a 'fun time'.

Sasuke wasn't interested in such bullshit, therefore, as usual, he brushed off his blonde friend and unconsciously set off in the opposite direction of the party's location.

Naruto called out his name and screamed things like 'he's going to regret missing out' but Sasuke couldn't care any less. He didn't know where he was going, but what he did know was that he just wanted to get away as far as possible from that event.

As he delved further away along the path, he started feeling a slight, strangely familiar chakra in the same direction that his legs were taking him. His curiosity ate at him as he continued walking towards that slightly familiar yet very foggy chakra signature. Little did Sasuke know that he was walking in the direction of a specific pink-haired girl. As he was passing by buildings of different sizes, he felt the chakra signature getting stronger. As he looked around, the area seemed to be much calmer and greener compared to other places in the village. It had a relaxed atmosphere—contrary to the bustling and noisy streets of downtown Konoha.

* * *

She twirled around once, dress following suit. As she stepped in front of the mirror a second time, she murmured, "something's missing."

She reached towards her dresser and pulled out a medium-sized silver box. She wasn't the type too interested in jewelry—the amount of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings tangled together indicated so.

After looking through the different trinkets, she found a shiny silver necklace with a small silver-coated charm in the shape of a sakura flower (cheesy as that may be), surrounded by a white circle— her clan's renowned symbol. After clasping it onto her neck, the shiny sakura charm easily slid down to the center of her chest, giving her a look of shining vibrancy.

After applying just a bit of mascara, she was all set. Sakura always did go for a natural look anyway. Slipping on silver heels with white angel wings on the back of each heel, she opened the door and heaved a relaxed sigh.

The flowers of spring were in full bloom, illuminated by the radiancy of the moon. A soft cool breeze swayed them back and forth. She was more than ready for a carefree night.

He had thought he knew this chakra signature before. It was none other than Sakura Haruno's; he was standing a few meters away from her building's front porch. There was a small garden filled with blooming flowers on each side of the stairs and walkway. A small fountain was found at the far right.

It was a pretty calm place. He wondered how the world worked and why on Earth would he coincidentally end up walking in her direction. He would be mad

to actually believe that it wasn't a coincidence. He was convinced that the universe was officially using him as its playground.

He sighed as he placed his hand on his face and rubbed his sore eyes. The sparring session was a lot heavier than he had expected. Naruto had immensely improved.

He was an almost equal match.

His Uchiha ego did not let him fully acknowledge Naruto's 100% ability to match him, but he couldn't deny the fact that Naruto was one of the only dangerous opponents that could match up to his level.

He then quickly wondered what sparring with Sakura would be like. He hadn't seen anything of what she had done yet, but the fact that other villages were mentioning her name surely deserved the raise of an eyebrow.

Sasuke internally berated himself then brushed off the thought. He didn't know why she was invading his mind. Having no business here, he decided to go back to the Uchiha manor.

As he turned around to leave, his sharingan unconsciously activated as the quick opening of the front door caught him off guard. He disappeared and took cover in the fraction of a second.

He watched as she exited her apartment. What he saw rendered him at a complete loss for words—his eyes widening for the briefest moment.

He felt as if his sight was deceiving him; the girl standing a few meters in front of him was nothing of what he remembered. Not even a shadow of her past self. She looked like a fully grown and changed woman, seeming confident and at peace with who she was. But there was something intriguing about her eyes.

Their sparkle illustrated an internal struggle with something, an issue perhaps tucked inside of her for so long, it went still unresolved.

Aside from all that, he still couldn't believe her choice of clothing for tonight.

It was...very provocative—enticing even, well at least for someone like Sakura. Any man's jaw would have dropped just by glancing at her. He had definitely not known she had moved to that area of town, the one that he just happened to be randomly strolling through—far, far away from that stupid party's location. But actually seeing her...it caught him by surprise, to say the least.

She didn't see _him _though; he wouldn't let her. With his chakra signature expertly hidden, he deactivated his sharingan, and black charcoal eyes silently watched the pinkette stroll about the sidewalk—the echo of her silver heels disrupting the eerie silence.

He didn't want to go to that stupid party anyway. He had a wide range of alternative activities to occupy himself with, like training until he couldn't stand, and meditation. They were things that helped him establish a calm state of mind.

However, that strong tugging in his chest begged to differ. With his inner self as stubborn and solid as a rock lately, he was starting to think twice about his decisions. After Sakura became fully out of sight, he walked a direction leading him straight to the Uchiha manor.

Curiosity eating away at him, the least he could do was just pass by the event for a drink or two.

_Alcohol _: a tool that one uses as a defense mechanism to escape reality even if just for a second. He considered drinking a dangerous, yet alluring incentive to stop reminiscing about his rage-full and scarring past.

The gates of the lonely and cold Uchiha manor creaked open, solemnly welcoming its single rightful owner once again.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** More will be on the way! :P Constructive criticism is appreciated and welcome. This is the first time we're attempting at writing a Naruto fanfic, but we hope you guys will enjoy reading it and the musing skeletons will see you next chapter!


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